His Ice Cold Heart
by SebastianGirl1994
Summary: Hanabusa Aidou has lost the ability to see the colour, and has started to believe it would be better for him to leave Cross Academy. That is until he meets a violinist who brings colour back for him. Who is she and why has he never noticed her before?
1. Shades Of Monochrome

**Hi everyone :) This is a story I wrote for Vampire Knight, an AidouXOC story 3 I hope you all enjoy this first chapter. TTYL :)**

* * *

(Aidou's POV)

It was yet another dull and dreary day. The cherry trees were in bloom, with powder pink petals fluttering to the ground around us as we ventured out of our dorm, and to the awaiting Day Class girls and boy. For some reason that I couldn't quite comprehend, I didn't want to be noticed by the girls who cried out my name, or by my alias Idol. What was the point? Why did I do this every day? There were days where it felt like my sole purpose in life was to please them, to flirt with them. Was there nothing else to me?

I edged closer to the centre of my group, contemplating this new theory of mine. Perhaps I had put myself in that position, becoming a flirt for the girls. My hands clenched around the books I had brought for a class that meant nothing to me.

 _"_ _There is more to me…I'm not something to fawn over. I am a person too…"_ I wanted to say those words…but I couldn't.

I should have stayed at the dormitory, in the room filled with my collection while I still possessed it.

I released a sigh that didn't seem to loosen the weight on my chest. Perhaps it was time I returned home to my family, to bid farewell to my life here at Cross Academy. I wasn't in a good place these days, the colour appeared to have been drained from my world to be replaced by a monochrome of greys, blacks and whites. When I looked at something I knew of, such as a cherry tree, I knew the petals should be pink…but I could no longer see it. As the weeks had passed, I had found myself irritated. But I didn't want to concern those around me, so I kept it to myself and aimed for my usual enthusiasm where I could. But I was failing miserably, and those around me knew something wasn't quite right.

"Are you alright, Aidou?" a voice asked, a hand on my shoulder. I turned my head to see the grey image of Rima Toya.

"Yes, are you alright?" Ruka asked as she caught up to us, her grey hair loose around her shoulders.

I didn't say anything, knowing no one could understand this feeling of mine. It appeared I lacked the energy for simple conversation with most people these days. I sighed once more and continued walking, knowing that I was stuck like this until I uncovered what had caused me to feel this way. Was it the fact that my eldest sister had announced her engagement to an idiot of an aristocrat? Or that my middle sister had moved her things into my old room as it was the "master" room? Or perhaps it was my youngest sister, who was ill again? Any one of those factors would be enough to cause a person to stress and their hair to turn white. I would try to call each sister tonight to talk to them, see if that made me feel better. But that could be done later, as I unfortunately, had class now.

I walked up the steps of the school building slowly and took a hold of the door from Takuma Ichijou, who was smiling again over something trivial. Perhaps it was the upcoming St Valentine's Day that had given him a spring to his step, or the Social Ball after the holidays. Did it really matter at all these days? Did anything matter when it came to fangirls? I was at my wit's end with the girls throwing themselves at us, and wished I could forge a barrier between myself and them, make a bubble and hide from them.

Senri Shiki took the door from me and I stopped in the hallway as my friends, Lord Kaname and my cousins walked ahead of me. What was the point of attending this school, knowing we did nothing here? We were classed as high school students, but it meant nothing. We had no assignments or projects, tests or work that would further our grade while we resided here. On paper, we were students of a fictional class, the pawns of a Pureblood vampire.

 _"_ _What a lovely way to dampen my already low mood,"_ I thought to myself.

"Are you coming, Hanabusa?" Akatsuki asked and I glanced up to see everyone was watching me, including the aforementioned Pureblood.

I walked forward like a robot, not saying a word to answer the question posed to me. I climbed the stairs as I had outside, only now I felt lethargic, my muscles demanding that I stop moving. I could give up now, and no one would blame me. Sure, there would be questions, ones that I couldn't answer, but perhaps I would be happier. I could ponder my choices during class…or that's what I believed anyway.

A soft melody invaded my internal monologue, forcing me to lift my head in curiosity. The door to the classroom was opened, Takuma having seen to that as he peered inside. Lord Kaname was standing a little further from the rest of us, his eyes calculating as the music wrapped around my body, making me feel warm for the first time in a very long while. My worries seemed to lessen, and I could finally breathe. I stepped closer to the door, wondering what had caused us to still, leaning across Takuma to see inside the room.

It was the same classroom as before, the benches lined the floor in a slope with a teacher's podium on the stage at the bottom, a blackboard stuck to the wall with hints of chalk from a previous lesson. I moved closer into the room, hearing the music clearly as I did so. Had someone put on a speaker to play the melody? I looked over the benches, spotting what looked like a pair of thigh highs, the school blazer in Day Class colours, a turquoise case, a tote bag…and my eyes lifted higher to see boots, and our school cardinal red ribbon. But none of that held my attention, for there was something much more interesting to view.

A young girl was standing near Lord Kaname's chair, a metronome balanced on books was swaying gently to her left, and she appeared to be moving as well. She had stripped down to her black skirt and white shirt, with the latter lifted a little to expose small scars along her abdomen. A butterfly tattoo rested on her hip in cerulean blue, and from here, it looked ready to take flight. The girl had rolled the sleeves of her shirt up, to avoid them getting caught as she moved her bow across the strings of a light brown violin, the source of the melody I was now hearing. Her skin was a light ivory which could be classed as porcelain were a person to view her under the moonlight, and her hair reminded me of raw starlight. The icy blonde strands flowed down her back to the last of her ribs in loose curls. A black ribbon was tied around her head to hold some of her fringe away from her eyes, but a few threads had escaped and touched her sweaty brow as she played.

I found myself edging closer, drawn to this beautiful violinist and her delicate features. There were thin scars on her hands, which appeared years old. Her eyes were closed as she focused on the song she was playing, giving it a life of its own. I spotted the silver school necklace the girls were requested to wear around her neck along with a thin blue bracelet which was tied around her wrist, and appeared worn down and old. She had probably been wearing it since she was a child, but who could say.

The music reached its inevitable conclusion and the violinist stood there, her chest rising quickly as she caught her breath. She raised the hand holding the bow to rest over her heart, measuring the beats. Her heart reminded me of a hummingbird, it was so bitterly fragile. She turned to her left without looking down at the door and picked up her phone, glancing at something on the screen.

"Ten seconds too fast," she whispered before tapping the screen.

She placed her phone down near the metronome before turning to face the front of the room, her violin posed to play the song once more. She would have, had her eyes not stopped and focused on me. I could see their pale grey colour with a hint of another colour encircling the core, giving her an unusual appearance that could be considered cold by some people. A part of me believed her eyes, which reminded me of ice, would melt when she was with her friends. Her lips were painted a pale pink and her face was flushed with heat. She lowered her violin to rest along her leg as she took a tentative step forward.

"Hi there…?" she said gently.

"You must be the violinist the headmaster was telling me about," Lord Kaname stated as he walked into the room.

"Only nice things I hope," she replied, "you must be the Moon Dormitory president. But what are you doing here? Isn't it a little early for you all?"

"We have class now," Takuma replied, "I thought curfew had been called already."

"It's called at six and it's…" she turned to pick up her phone, tapping the screen before the colour drained from her face, "twenty past six."

"Did you lose track of time?"

"I must have," she whispered as she put her phone down, "I've been here since five…sorry about this. I'll pack up."

"There's no rush," Lord Kaname stated as she picked up her bow and violin and walked down to the turquoise case, setting them inside the lined box to protect it before locking them away. She grabbed a tote bag and gathered her metronome and a few books, before setting the others under Lord Kaname's chair. She picked up her clothes as she walked back down to us, a faint blush evident on her cheeks from embarrassment.

She stopped a foot from Lord Kaname and bowed to him, her hands clutching her tote bag and violin case tight between her fingers. Her hair parted at the back of her head to fall over both of her shoulders before she raised her head.

"I'm sorry," she restated, "I better hurry before the guardians spot me."

The last words were said with the hints of a smile playing on her lips, but it never reached her eyes and they appeared as icy as I had first believed. She walked passed me, and I noted that she was a small girl, her head not even level with my shoulder with a slim body that could be considered unhealthy by today's standards. She stopped halfway through the Night Class to look back over her shoulder, her eyes watching me with an odd curiosity that seemed to melt some of her grey eyes. With her this close, I could make out a thin ring of blue at the core of her eyes, making it seem like I was observing the sky. She looked confused for a moment, her mouth open as if she wished to say something else before she closed it. She turned away and left the classroom, with Akatsuki closing the door behind her.

A small part of me wished to know what she had wanted to say, what she had been thinking when she had looked at me. It wasn't a look I was completely familiar with, one the fangirls had not possessed during my time here. I wanted to compliment her melody, even if it had been ten seconds too fast. I looked at the door as everyone else took their seat, only to realise something I had missed. There was colour around the door, enough so that I could make out the oak brown surface and golden handles. The more time I spent looking at it, the more colour that was leeched from the inanimate object. I rubbed my eyes only to see the colour was still fading. When had colour returned? Why hadn't I noticed it? I tried to think when I had seen colour…and realised it had been when I had seen the violinist. She had brought colour back to my life, allowing me to enjoy the world I had forgotten.

I felt an urge to track her down and thank her, knowing she wouldn't understand what I was talking about. I stepped forward, towards the door when a hand caught my shoulder and pinned me in place.

"Hanabusa, we have class now," Akatsuki commented and I nodded, following him to our usual seats, rather reluctantly.

I watched as the door lost its vibrancy and my world returned to its once dreary state. I took out my notebook, not sure what I wished to do as I began to draw…eyes that were expressive and made up of two colours, of hair like starlight, of hands marked by scars and a violin. I wished now as I finished the violin, that I had asked for her name. I wanted to know who she was and what made her tick…what made her heart beat as it had…

* * *

Class ended earlier than normal and I packed my books away, my hands lingering on my notebook. I had been in the process of drawing a girl, long hair and beautiful eyes, when Toga Yagori had deemed it necessary to ask me a question about ethical solutions to world problems. Admittedly, I had stared at the space over his head and he had grunted before returning to the lesson. However, to prevent myself from being caught again, I had foregone drawing so as to focus on his class, and the girl had remained only half complete.

No one moved from their seats, waiting for Lord Kaname to excuse us. But the Pureblood was distracted by something in his book, or appeared to be, so he didn't allow us to leave. I could return to my picture, maybe add some life to her eyes and make her look like the girl I recalled. I flicked open my notebook and picked up my pencil, only for the book to be pulled from my desk and lifted up by another person.

"Looks like someone has a crush," Ruka muttered, flicking her hair over her shoulder as she scanned the pages.

"Give me my notebook back!" I snapped as she moved just out of my reach, her grey eyes alight with humour.

"Who is she?" Ruka questioned.

"Nobody!"

"Hardly," my cousin mumbled as she turned onto another page, "you have four pages of eyes alone here. Actually, she looks a little like the violinist from earlier…"

"I will kill you, Ruka!"

I had gotten to my feet and leaned forward to catch her, and she danced out of my reach, my notebook still held tight between her hands. Someone a bench below caught the notebook to look at the girl I had been drawing, her grey twin tails wrapped with a darker ribbon as she showed it to Senri Shiki who was sitting with his eyes closed.

"That girl did smell rather yummy," he commented once he opened his eyes, "shame she plays such a boring instrument."

"Shiki," Takuma muttered from his seat, his hands under his chin as he looked over at us.

"Time to feed," Rima stated with a sigh as opened her blood tablet container and threw a couple into his mouth.

"Lord Kaname, you mentioned that she was a violinist," Ruka said, turning her attention to the Pureblood as he read his book.

"She is," he replied as he turned the page in his book, his eyes not lifting to view us.

It seemed that those present in the classroom were curious to know who she was, and what she had been doing in our room. But no one wished to provide us with information, and the topic was dropped. Ruka retrieved my notebook and set it down in front of me, allowing me the opportunity to see the girl once more. She was beautiful, but my ability to capture her to paper was nothing compared to what she truly looked like. I could draw her a hundred times, and never make an exact copy of her. I scratched a note down, asking what her name could be. Would it be something beautiful like Nagisa or would it be something colourful like Chou? I wrote down those names, yet none seemed to fit her. Not the violinist or my drawing…

"What was the name of the song she was playing?" someone asked, "I feel I've heard it somewhere before."

"Greensleeves," Rima replied, looking at the student who had posed the question.

With the question asked, I felt like I could hear the music as I had a few hours previous. Her body moving with the music as she gave it life, her eyes closed in concentration with a blue butterfly resting on her hip. But no colour returned with her image, and I felt it would require her presence. Would I see her again? Would she lose track of time again?

"It is time to return to the dorm," Lord Kaname stated as he got to his feet, his book held at his side as he took the aisle down to the ground floor.

"Yes, Lord Kaname," we all replied as we left our desks to follow after him.

We left the school building on our own, Lord Kaname wished to speak to the headmaster and left us to return alone. I stayed behind for a few moments, allowing my cousins to get a head start on me, not wanting to be caught by them to ask about my drawing. Once ten minutes had passed, I opened the door and stepped out into the chilly night. For a brief moment, I wished I had brought a coat with me as I sighed, seeing the faint traces of steam in the air. I descended the stairs that lead to the school and focused on the noise my shoes made against the pebbled pathway. Perhaps I could clear my head of the violinist on my way back to my dorm.

"You should head back to your dorm immediately!" a voice shouted, drawing my attention from my footwear, "it's not safe for the both of you outside at this hour!"

I sought the voice, only to see Yuki Cross hidden behind some trees, her hands pushing against the shoulder of a reluctant Day Class student. There were two of them that I could see, one who was causing the guardian some hardship while the other was on the floor, a camera held tight between her hands as she cried. The one standing had her hair in a ponytail and her eyes were a little big for her face, while the other had short hair and gentle eyes.

"You don't understand! We just wanted to take a few photos!" the girl standing up shouted at Yuki.

"I have your names and classes!" Yuki snapped.

"We will be passing them onto the headmaster," Zero Kiryu commented dryly.

I hadn't noticed him standing there, let alone when he had arrived. He looked sullen tonight, and the girls looked ready to fight for their photos. But only if they were up against Yuki…Zero was another problem, one they weren't brave enough to take on.

"That's not fair! We didn't do anything wrong!"

The girl with the ponytail pulled free from Yuki to adjust her uniform sleeve, as if the guardian had defiled her by touching it. She glared at the guardian once she considered herself proper and turned to her companion.

"Get up, Miki!" she snapped at the girl with the camera, who then got to her feet.

The pair walked out of the treeline, complaining before they reached me. Once they spotted my uniform, which was considerably different to theirs, they froze to look up at my face, one that I wished I didn't possess at that moment. Perhaps then, they would have left me alone.

"Aidou!" the crying girl said with a smile.

"Idol!" the ponytail girl said at the same time before the camera was lifted, "I have to take a picture!"

The camera made a buzzing sound before it flashed and my image was captured. Of course, since they had been so close to me, the flash had blinded me and all I could see was white. No trees, no path…nothing. I could hear the sound of curses coming from where the guardians had been, before the sound of boots running followed.

"I was wondering where you both had gotten to," a feminine voice commented from behind me.

"We just went for a walk, to clear our heads," the girl closest to me said.

"And you brought a camera?"

"Yeah…the flash is just as good as a torch."

"Right," the voice said as she got closer, "you know you're on thin ice already, right?"

"It doesn't matter!" the girl replied, "Daddy will bail me out like he always does. This academy needs a new library wing anyway!"

"I wouldn't know," the familiar voice said, "but he doesn't have to be your target, Ameira."

A cool finger ran along the back of my hand, and I opened it slowly, allowing her to hold it. Her hand was cool to the touch, which told me she wasn't wearing gloves on her walk. The girl pulled me towards her, allowing my other hand to feel the coat she were wearing over her own clothes. With a gentle breeze, her hair moved and ran along my face, sending with it a fragrance of white roses and peppermint.

"I'll bring him back to his dorm," the voice stated to someone else before pulling me along with her.

"You two," Zero's voice stated, "follow us to the headmaster's office."

"How is that fair?!"

The girls were escorted away, leaving myself and my "saviour" alone. Who was she anyway? Why hadn't the guardians commented on her going with me? She pulled me forward, our shoes hitting the floor with a comforting tap-tap sound. I should probably say something, ask her what her name was. How did one bring that up?

"You're the guy from the Night Class," she said as we walked, "you were staring at me."

"I was?"

"Yeah," she replied, "admittedly, I was in your classroom when it should have been empty."

She laughed a little, and something told me it didn't reach her eyes. I tried to figure out what she was talking about…when I felt myself stop. It couldn't be her…could it?

"Are you the violinist?" I asked.

"I'm certain there are more violinists in this school than just me," she replied, and it sounded like there was a smile in her voice, "but yes."

"Wow," I whispered and heard her giggle.

"What earned me that reaction?" she asked, turning to move closer to me and if I could have seen her, I'm certain she would have been grinning.

"You're good," I whispered, wishing I could see her now.

"Thank you," she replied, "did the flash blind you or something?"

"You could say that," I replied.

"I've been telling her to turn it off," the girl mumbled, "do you want to sit down and wait for it to pass?"

"I don't think I'd be able to get back to my dormitory otherwise," I replied, "unless you're offering to help me?"

"I'll bring you back."

She tugged me to the right where I felt cool grass and trees before the space opened up. She moved me towards something and pushed me down onto a bench before she took a seat beside me. We must have been a sight, the violinist and the vampire. As the moments ticked by, so my sight returned. I could see the moon hanging over the lake that surrounded the academy, trees lined the sides with cherry blossoms swaying in the night breeze. Cool air wrapped around us as she tucked hair behind one of her ears, revealing a pair of diamanté earrings.

"Beautiful," I whispered as I looked over her, seeing her hands clasped on her lap.

"It is a beautiful place," she whispered before looking at me, her eyes a silvery glow.

"What's your name?" I asked and she gave me a gentle smile that made her eyes melt.

"Kaori," she replied, "Kaori Tachibana."

"Hanabusa Aidou," I said and she nodded.

"It's nice to finally put a name to a face," she whispered, "how are your eyes?"

"Better," I answered, grateful to see colour again.

She turned back to look at the lake, her hair sliding free from her ear to cover her face from my view. I reached out slowly and pushed it back, feeling her stiffen under my touch before looking back at me. Her mouth was open as it had been in the classroom, as if ready to say something, my hand touching her cheek now. Her skin was soft, cooled under my hand from the night air. I had been right about one thing, however. Her skin was lit like porcelain in the moonlight, her eyes reminding me of a silver I felt I could become lost in. I moved closer to her, feeling drawn to her as I had in the classroom, and she turned to face me. My nose grazed hers and she didn't move away as I leaned forward to kiss her painted pink lips.

Her lips tasted like cherry liquor, which had a bitter sweet quality. My hand moved of its own accord to cup her face, holding her close and it took a moment before she reacted to me. Her body turned and she raised her own hand to cup my face, and our eyes closed. Once she had relaxed, she deepened our kiss. I no longer felt the cold of the night, nor the breeze that encircled Cross Academy. For a brief moment, the world was the bubble that I had once craved, and made up of just the two of us.

But all good things come to an end, and our bubble eventually burst to allow reality in. I opened my eyes to watch as Kaori pulled away from me, her cheeks stained a pale blush. I could hear something calling, and took that to be what had ruined our moment together.

"Hanabusa!" a voice called, one I recognised as Akatsuki.

"You better go," Kaori whispered as she fidgeted with her hands.

"Hanabusa!"

"Can we meet again?" I asked her quickly and she smiled.

"Sure," she whispered before looking back at me, "I'd like that."

I got to my feet, and moved towards the treeline. I cast the violinist one look, wondering if it was safe to leave her there when Akatsuki called for me again. He was getting closer, and I didn't want him to find me with her. I didn't want anyone to see us together, and ruin this perfect moment any further. So I sighed and exited the area and walked towards the path, only to find I was a metre from Akatsuki. He must have been heading back to the school, his intent to retrace the steps I should have taken. He wouldn't account for a detour, nor seeing the beautiful violinist once more.

"I'm here," I called and he turned to look at me.

"You didn't come back to the dorm," he stated as he walked back to me, his hands in his pockets.

"I felt like some fresh air would do me some good," I replied, finding the colour of my world wasn't fading away. Had Kaori done this to me?

"Did it?"

"Yes," I replied, finding myself smiling, "it managed to make me feel a lot better."

* * *

I awoke the next evening, and with a spring in my step, I got dressed and ready for class. I fixed my tie and cufflinks before grabbing my books and leaving my room. I descended the stairs and made my way through the other students to stand by my friends and cousins, who were loosely gathered around Lord Kaname and Takuma. I felt a smile pull at my lips as I stood near Akatsuki, who cast me a strange look. But not even that could dampen my mood. I felt like my normal self, and I put it down to that kiss I had shared with Kaori Tachibana. It had somehow managed to reinvigorate me, make me feel alive and give me a reason to remain at Cross Academy.

"You're in a good mood," Ruka commented, "what changed?"

"Oh nothing," I replied.

"Where did you go on your walk last night?" Akatsuki asked and I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'm glad you're in a better mood, Hanabusa," Takuma said with a smile.

"Thanks," I replied as the doors opened and we filed out behind Lord Kaname.

We passed the gatekeeper who cast us one withering look before turning away, returning to his notes about visitors or whatever the headmaster had assigned him to do. We reached the gates rather slowly, much too slow for what I wished them to do. I wanted to see Kaori again, and I had a theory that she might be beyond the gate, either in the fangirls line-up or in our classroom again, the time flying passed without her notice.

The gates opened slowly and we were greeted by the screams of the fangirls, their signs posed and ready for our attention. To our right was Yuki, her arms spread out as far as she could to block the girls while Zero was opposite her, not using as much effort and merely glaring at any girl who took a step too close to us. I couldn't see Kaori, she wasn't in the crowds so I moved onto my theory that she was in our classroom, playing the violin to her heart's content. Maybe she'd play a different song…?

But when we reached the classroom, she wasn't there either. Where could she be? Why hadn't I seen her? Had I missed her entirely? Perhaps she had been waving to me and I hadn't seen her, would she think I was ignoring her? My heart was hammering as I took my seat, deciding to sit at the top of the room and near a window, wondering if I would see her again outside. Would she be walking around in her coat, getting some air while she could?

"Are you looking for someone, Hanabusa?" Takuma asked as he sat nearest to Lord Kaname.

"Yeah," I replied as I looked down at him.

"Is it someone we know?"

"Not really," I answered as I looked back out the window, "I thought I'd have seen her by now."

"You're late," a voice commented from outside, and I leaned forward in my seat to see the speaker was Zero. Beside him was Yuki as they both leaned against the barrier that surrounded the rooftop area outside our window. But I couldn't see who he was speaking to, and felt certain it wasn't directed towards Yuki as she was already present.

"Hi to you too, Zero," another voice replied, though I couldn't see the speaker.

"Where did you disappear to?"

"I had a meeting with the headmaster about the upcoming competition," the voice replied.

"When is that again?"

"Two months this Friday," the voice replied, "And I needed a break from playing. I've somehow managed to make the song sound a full minute faster than what it actually is!"

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Yuki stated with a smile as the new person moved to the barrier and earned a gasp from me.

Her starlight blonde hair was tied into a ponytail with a black ribbon wrapped around the bobbin. Her uniform was intact and she had a silver bracelet on her wrist which seemed to match Yuki's. Kaori had a smile on her lips, similar to the one she had shared with me before. She pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear and away from her face before she turned to lean on the barrier, exposing her front and the armband I had grown accustom to seeing on Yuki and Zero. A white band with red lines and the academy's logo…

"She's a guardian?!" I commented, earning the attention of the other students in my class.

With this new information, a few of my unanswered questions faded to nothing. The guardians had left me alone with her, because she was one of them. She knew what I was, and had still sat with me…allowed me to kiss her. She must either be very brave or very stupid. She leaned back against the barrier on the roof, her eyes moving up along the stonework before they spotted me. She was still smiling as she raised one hand and waved to me, which ended with her fingers forming the peace sign.

"Who are you waving at?" Zero asked.

"Someone I know," she replied as I lifted my own hand to wave back at her, "is that a crime?"

She crossed her arms across her chest and looked ready to fight Zero. The latter moved closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, all the while, Yuki had raised her hands in surrender to calm the situation.

"I don't want you getting hurt," he said to her, gently as they both looked into each other's eyes, "that's all."

"I know," she replied and placed her own hand to cover his hand, "I wouldn't do anything stupid."

"Who were you waving to?" a voice asked and I jumped before looking to my side, seeing Takuma was leaning on my desk to view the roof and the guardians.

"Her," I replied and pointed to Kaori.

"The violinist," he stated and I nodded, though he didn't appear too impressed by my admission.

At that moment, Toga Yagori decided to walk into the room, his ethics book covered in knife marks and stabs which didn't seem to render the book unreadable. I opened my notebook and pretended to pay attention to him telling us we could be considered an abomination on society, but my eyes drifted to the roof as Kaori sat on the ledge and viewed me. Her grey eyes were alight with humour as she opened her mouth, as if ready to speak.

 _You should listen to him,_ she mouthed to me before her lips formed a playful smile.

She lifted one hand to point to the window pane, and I followed it before seeing that a few of the windows were open, allowing the lecturer to be heard. I hadn't noticed it was open, and had considered my hearing to have improved. She must have heard my exclamation, and then searched for the source. She must then be able to hear Toga Yagori talking, but didn't wish to yell up to me. She was an odd girl; that was obvious as she closed her eyes to listen to the lesson before something drew her attention away.

With a sad nod, she turned to look back at me and gave me a wave before jumping off the roof and disappearing into the night. I was disappointed, not sure I liked the idea that she was a guardian of this school, and that she was trained to kill vampires without worry or concern. But what struck me as odd was the fact that I hadn't heard or seen this new guardian until yesterday, so where had she been up to now? Had she been enrolled in this school? Had I just not noticed her?

* * *

Once class concluded for the evening, I followed the same routine as the night before. I waited for my friends and cousins to walk ahead of me by about ten minutes before I ventured outside. It was my hope that by doing this, I would find myself in a similar situation with Kaori Tachibana again. I wanted to see her, only this time, unobstructed by panes of glass. I wanted to touch her soft skin, to see her beautiful silvery grey/blue eyes while I kissed her cherry liquor lips. The latter had probably been a spur of a moment decision between the two of us, with no chance of reoccurring…but part of me wished it would.

Once my time was up, I got to my feet and opened the front door of the school building and stepped out into the cool evening air. The moon was high with a few clouds surrounding it like an undersized blanket, the stars its safety lights for the night ahead. I pulled my coat closer to my body, grateful I had remembered it this time. Perhaps then, I could enjoy her company more.

"I was wondering why you weren't with the others," a feminine voice stated and I sought it out, my eyes focusing on a darkened archway near the main school building.

A figure was shrouded in the shadows, one foot propped against the wall while arms crossed a thin chest to cover her heart. She pushed against the wall and walked into the lamplight, her eyes silvery and her hair still tied into its ponytail. The ribbon had come undone and was wrapped around her wrist, snagging her bracelet against her wrist and leaving marks on her skin. It looked rather painful, but I didn't wish to upset her by mentioning it. She looked beautiful as she walked towards me, her arms the only protection she had against the cold this evening.

"I had some work to do," I replied and she smiled, lighting her eyes a little more.

"It must have been very taxing," she whispered, "especially for a person like yourself."

"It can be," I replied as I took a step forward and she followed me, "are you escorting me?"

"Have to ensure that you arrive at your dormitory safely," she responded and I found myself mirroring her smile.

We walked slowly, my hands in the pockets of my coat while she walked beside me, her hands wrapped around her chest like a body warmer. As she breathed out, I noticed steam before she rubbed her arms gently. I knew it would only get colder as the night wore on, and who knew how much longer she would have to patrol. I undid the buttons around my coat and took it off, and stopped walking. She was so focused on keeping warm she had continued to walk without me, so I reached her and put my coat over her shoulders. She froze for a moment before looking at me, her eyes filled with confusion.

"You better wrap up," I whispered as I started walking again.

"You'll get a cold!" she called out but I shook my head.

"I'm nearly at my bed, just wrap up and stay warm," I called back and heard her mumble before reaching me, the coat hanging off her at odd angles. It looked like a child trying to dress like an adult, which made me laugh as she pushed the sleeves of the coat up to her elbows.

"Thank you," she whispered after a moment and I nodded, "are you not cold?"

"Not in the slightest," I lied and I felt she could sense it, why else would she have moved closer and put her arm through mine? She rested her head on my arm as we leaned into each other.

"So you're a guardian," I said after a few minutes.

"Yeah…" she replied, "have been for the last few days."

"Have you always been a student at this school?"

"No," she whispered, "I was offered a scholarship recently and my aunt suggested I take it."

So had she been raised by her aunt? Where were her parents? Should I ask her about them? Would it be rude if I didn't?

"No parents?"

"Not for years," she replied, "I haven't seen them since I was younger…I don't really remember them, to be honest."

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen," she replied softly, "what about you?"

"What about me?"

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen," I answered and she nodded against my arm.

"Parents?"

"My father raised me," I replied, "my mother has been gone a while now."

"Sorry about that," she whispered.

"My sisters made up for it though," I continued with a laugh.

"How many do you have?"

"Three," I replied and as I looked down at her, I saw the hints of a smile on her lips, "do you have siblings?"

"No, I was an only child," she whispered.

"That must have been tough," I said and she shrugged her shoulders, "and quiet."

"It was lonely at times," she responded, "there were days I wished there was another kid my age to play with. But it's alright. I was friends with a few neighbours and their children often kept me company…"

I had had my sisters for as long as I could remember, my eldest being like a mother bird around me. She looked like my father, her hair was a light chestnut brown and her eyes were a similar shade. She had taken care of me when I was sick, along with my other two sisters. I should ask her if Deanne was alright these days, before her wedding, and maybe it would stop me worrying about her too much. She was the last daughter of my mother, before she left us. For as long as I could remember, I had always been protective of her, always watching her back as she explored the world around her. Did that make me overbearing as a brother?

"Are you alright?" Kaori asked after a moment and I turned to see she was looking up into my eyes, "you blanked for a moment."

"Yeah, just thinking about my sisters," I replied.

"Oh," she whispered as she snuggled closer into my arm, "when you mentioned siblings, I remembered something. I met a boy once. He was like an older brother to me, protective…I…"

A tear ran down her cheek which I leaned forward to wipe away. She looked up at me, a sad smile on her lips as she sighed.

"I can't remember his name," she whispered after a moment, "how bad is that?"

"You must have been a kid," I replied as I wiped away her tears, wishing to see her smile again, "before I talk to my sisters, I have to drink coffee."

"Why?"

"Two of my sisters look nearly identical," I replied honestly, "and my third sister looks like a blur before noon."

I looked over at Kaori to see she was smiling, her eyes glowing as we walked and her tears forgotten about. I was glad to see her like that, knowing I wouldn't wish for her to cry again. If I could, I would make sure she didn't, even if it meant making a fool of myself. But everything sweet had to come to an end at some point, and our ending came when we reached my dormitory gate. I didn't want to leave her side, I would even accompany her on her patrols if it meant I could spend more time with her.

"Tomorrow?" she asked, and her cheeks were stained a pale pink in the moonlight.

"Sure," I replied and leaned forward to catch her chin so I could look into her eyes, "and every night after."

I kissed her lips gently, like the night before. It was a goodnight kiss, leaving you with a want for more. But I ended it, not allowing either of us to deepen it. Kaori looked slightly stunned before she stood on her toes to kiss me chastely on my lips.

"Tomorrow," she whispered before looking down at my coat, "do you want this back?"

"Keep it until tomorrow," I replied and opened the gate, "goodnight, Kaori."

"Goodnight," she whispered as I stepped over the border, "Hanabusa."

* * *

The world was colourful, covered in shades I hadn't even known could exist before I met Kaori Tachibana. Being in her company managed to unfreeze my heart, breaking the ice away and remind me of what it was like to feel something more. My cousins said my mood had improved dramatically, that I was my normal self. Takuma told me he was glad I was back to being me, and Lord Kaname…well, he was suspicious. I didn't cause as much ruckus, throwing away my collection myself to avoid unnecessary suspensions so I could see Kaori. That day, while I was cleaning up my bedroom, I looked over what I had once considered important.

A silver fork, bent in half, which demonstrated the power Lord Kaname possessed. A portrait of a girl on a farm, slashed along the edges by Lord Kaname. I knew that I still cared for him, still felt like I could be there should he require me. But now, there was someone else. And she stood as high as him in my books.

* * *

Class concluded early that evening, and I was tired. I hadn't realised how much of a collection I had amassed over the last few months, but it was now in bin bags ready to be thrown out. I had even found our sofa under the mess and cleaned it, not remembering when we had been given one or if we had always had it.

"Hanabusa," Akatsuki said as he reached my desk, which I had moved to the back of the classroom so I could see onto the roof space where Kaori often sat, "we're having a meeting at the dormitory about the increase of Level E activity."

"Tonight?" I asked, not wanting to give up my time with Kaori.

"Yeah," he replied, looking me over carefully, "did you have other plans?"

"Sort of," I answered as I sighed, "is the meeting right now?"

"We're walking back now," he replied, "were your plans important? Can you break them?"

"I can," I replied sullenly, "unfortunately."

I gathered my things and left my seat to follow behind my cousin. One quick glance out the window told me Kaori wasn't there, and she was waiting for me. How could I tell her I couldn't walk with her tonight? I didn't want to appear rude to her, the girl that mattered so much to me.

Takuma was walking ahead of us, his eyes facing forward as he spoke to Lord Kaname. I could hear the words "Level E" and "abductions" but nothing more. It must be serious if they wanted us all to talk about it. The front door opened and we stepped out into the chilly night, and for one brief moment, I wished I still had my coat. But I had given it to Kaori to keep warm.

"Hanabusa?" Takuma asked and I looked up at him, "are you alright?"

"Sure," I replied quietly as I looked to my left and spotted the guardian, my coat loose around her thin body as she leaned against the archway. She lifted her head, revealing that her hair was up in a chignon today with a bluebell attached near the top. She had foregone her scarf and was watching me, knowing we shared this time alone. She wouldn't step into the Night Class and I wouldn't force her to. She gave me a sad smile.

 _"_ _Tomorrow,"_ she mouthed to me before slipping into the darkness.

"Kaori," I whispered, wishing I could go after her. The last thing I saw was the bluebell as it broke free from her hair and fell to the ground. But I would make this up to her, I promised myself I would.

We reached the dorm quicker than I normally would have, which had probably been down to me walking with Kaori. I didn't want to lose time with her, and something told me she didn't either. I'd have to get her something as a sorry from me. But what the hell do you buy a girl you've been seeing for nearly a week?!

"Aidou," Lord Kaname said in a monotone and I glanced up to see everyone had taken a seat and I had stopped in the entranceway.

"Sorry," I replied as I sat beside Akatsuki, holding my hands on my lap to stop from fidgeting.

"Everyone," the Pureblood said once we quieted down, "these has been a report of two Level E vampires in town terrorising the locals. Young girls have been abducted and recently, presumed dead."

"We need some volunteers to help catch these vampires," Takuma said as Lord Kaname took his seat, "the guardians are offering their support and one of theirs has volunteered to assist during the investigation."

"Yuki or Zero?" Ruka asked, clearly deciding which one she would prefer to work with.

"Neither," Takuma replied, "the headmaster has assigned a new guardian to the school, he believed the sheer volume of fangirls was too much for two guardians alone."

 _Oh please no…don't let it be her…_

"I believe her name is Kaori Tachibana," Takuma concluded.

"I volunteer," I said quickly, not sure what the hell I was doing. Why did I want to kill Level E vampires? I hadn't done much of it in the past, why now?

 _Because she could get hurt…and you don't want that…_

Yeah, that was why I volunteered…

* * *

 **So what did you think of Hanabusa and his inability to see colours prior to meeting Kaori? What did you think of my OC, Kaori? I hope you stick around to read the rest of their story. Until then, let me know what you think by a review or PM me if you have any questions :)TTYL**


	2. Bathed In Red

**Wow, two chapters in one day :) Hope those reading this story is enjoyable :)**

* * *

(Aidou's POV)

"Anyone else willing to volunteer?" Takuma asked as I looked over the aristocrats that I considered to be my friends, their own eyes moving to seek out anything that wasn't Takuma, Lord Kaname or I.

I knew they didn't wish to be selected for hunting duty, it could be rather taxing, even for those of us who could safely walk around during the day. I despised waking up early in the morning for this type of work, which was one of my primary reasons for not volunteering often to begin with. More often than not, Takuma and Shiki went out hunting, with the fore doing the majority of the work himself. But something had changed for me, and I found myself more than willing to investigate this matter for Lord Kaname, especially considering I had Kaori Tachibana as my partner for the day. The thought that she would have gone off alone, that no one would have volunteered to help her, and could have gotten hurt or killed…well, it managed to upset me. I wasn't sure exactly why it did, but I resigned myself to consider the issue later tonight when I was alone. But for now, I shook my head in order to loosen those stray thoughts and focus on the matter at hand. Would anyone else be assigned to our small party?

"It seems you'll be working alone this time, Hanabusa," Takuma stated, his voice sounding a touch uneasy to my ears.

"A moment, Aidou," Lord Kaname said as he walked out of the living room, Takuma taking a spot at his right to follow after him.

I wondered briefly what he had to say to me. Would he offer me more information on this investigation?

"Why are you volunteering to work with a guardian?" Ruka questioned, her hazel eyes on mine as I got to my feet to follow after the Pureblood.

"Does it matter?" I asked in return, watching as she flicked her hair over her shoulder: a nervous twitch.

"It's because he likes her," Rima muttered as she retrieved a box of Pocky from Shiki to eat, "he wouldn't have if it was any other guardian."

"That's not true!" I hissed, though I wasn't entirely sure why I was getting defensive.

"Hanabusa," Akatsuki said with a sigh, "just don't be reckless."

I watched as he leaned back into the sofa, his eyes half-closed and focused entirely on me. This was my friend; the one person I knew I could speak to about almost anything. I couldn't understand why I didn't tell him about Kaori, why she shouldn't be left alone like this. Perhaps, I'd never be able to tell him or anyone else for that matter.

"Will do," I answered as I walked out of the living room and made my way up the staircase.

After I had spoken to Lord Kaname, I would go to bed early. I'd set an alarm for whatever awful time he suggested I get up for. I grimaced at the thought of the shrill alarm pulling me from my pleasant dreams, made even sweeter with the presence of Kaori. Did the alarm always sound so shrill? Was it designed to be the most annoying thing imaginable? Or was that a fault? Perhaps an alarm could be an enjoyable experience.

"If you're an insomniac," I muttered as I reached the landing.

I took to my right, heading in the direction of the overlarge mahogany doors that served as the entrance to Lord Kaname's office. It had been a few days since I had last been inside that part of this dormitory, Lord Kaname didn't have to reprimand me since I removed my collection from the premises. As I reached the end of the hallway, I noticed the door had been left open partially for me to enter without knocking. I knocked the door gently anyway, watching it swing open a little wider before I entered. It was only polite, even if the invitation had already been extended, to announce one's intention to enter a room of another.

"Lord Kaname," I said as I stepped into the room, closing the door behind me in case he wished for our conversation to remain private.

I looked to the Pureblood, seeing he had removed his school blazer and waistcoat, unbuttoning the first three buttons of his shirt prior to laying out along a chaise lounge he had in his office. One of his arms was positioned over his eyes while the other rested across his stomach, giving the illusion that he was exhausted and relaxed. I knew that to be false; Lord Kaname never seemed to relax entirely in this school. Within a second's notice, he'd have pounced on any threat, especially if it regarded Yuki Cross. Near him in a separate armchair, looking visibly tense, was Takuma, who had leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. His hands were pressed against his chin, and he appeared the more apprehensive of the two, at least in that moment.

"Hanabusa," Lord Kaname said without looking at me, "you'll be meeting Kaori Tachibana at noon tomorrow. The main gate of Cross Academy."

"Thanks for letting me know, Lord Kaname," I said, still not sure why he had called me up to the office. Did he only wish to inform me of where I was meeting Kaori?

"I wonder why no one else volunteered," Takuma commented, looking at Lord Kaname, "I would have gone if it weren't for my grandfather summoning me."

"It doesn't matter, Ichijou," Lord Kaname stated simply as he lifted his arm off his eyes and looked over at me.

"It will be dangerous for just two people," Takuma whispered, rubbing his eyes.

"I'll go to bed if you don't require me for anything else tonight, Lord Kaname?" I asked, thinking that they may want to discuss something privately themselves.

"In a moment," Lord Kaname said as he leaned forward to retrieve a white letter from the floor which he held out to Takuma.

"Kaname was able to retrieve some information for the both of you, in relation to tomorrow," Takuma said as he looked to the letter, "the Level E vampires were once residents of our town, but since their turn, they've been moving to remote locations across the country. The latest victim was a girl named Naomi Sakemaki, who went missing a week ago today. Her mother notified the police when she didn't return home from work."

"I'm assuming she's one of many," I stated as Takuma scanned over the letter, seeking an answer to my question.

"Thirty-six girls have gone missing across the country," Lord Kaname answered, "twenty-one have been presumed dead by the police as of this morning."

"Naomi is number thirty-seven?"

"It appears so," Takuma replied as he set the letter down on the table, "the victim prior to her was a girl named Midori Guerin. She was a transfer student from Japan and a student at this academy before her disappearance. Before Ms Guerin was Kotoko Aihara, who used to live in this town but commuted to Sacred Heart High School about three miles away."

"Are you certain it's the same person or people taking these girls?" I asked, crossing my arms, "maybe they decided to go for a walk and didn't go home…?"

"The locals in each town noted where the girls had last been seen," Takuma continued, "and according to police reports, it was a rather gruesome sight. By all accounts, it appears the girls put up a fight against their assailant that didn't go in their favour. Also, police were able to locate a possession of each girl found at the sites of their kidnappings."

"Like what?"

"Naomi left her charm bracelet behind," Takuma answered, "Midori left her school bag behind a bin and Kotoko dropped a love letter for an upperclassman from her school. Midori and Kotoko were last seen by their teachers in their school uniforms, on their way home. Naomi was seen in a traditional kimono on her way to catch a late train home. She worked in a small establishment called Ikeada Inn, which required her, among others, to dress like a geisha for clients and customers."

"That sounds rather…estranged," I murmured, having never heard of such an establishment before in my life.

"She was the only girl who lived in a small Japanese settlement about thirty minutes' drive from our school. It is considered very traditional and most families that reside there uphold those traditions. It's frowned upon to act against them."

"You can't be serious?!" I coughed as Lord Kaname reached forward to turn over a small photo on the table.

It was of a young girl, her hair a long pale brunette which was twisted around ornate chopsticks. She had her hands resting on the front of a heavy dark pink kimono, her eyes a light hazel and expressionless. Her face was made-up and pale, her lips painted a bright red. At one point, I would have considered her beautiful…but nothing compared to what Kaori was now. Naomi had dead eyes, while Kaori's eyes sparkled.

"This photo was taken the day before she went missing," Takuma explained as I picked it up, "she was nominated as employee of the month."

"We presume that this girl, like the others, has already perished," Lord Kaname commented after a brief moment.

"There are definitely two Level E vampires behind this?" I asked as I set the photo down to look at the Pureblood, "are you sure there isn't an army behind this?"

"Locals have seen a dishevelled pair near the kidnapping site prior to each disappearance," Takuma answered with a sigh, "it is believed they both live together and haven't yet lost their sanity. Not entirely anyway."

"So we start with Naomi's disappearance," I said, "where was this Japanese settlement based?"

"Near Dresden," Takuma replied, "I've a car you can use to get there and back tomorrow."

"That's very considerate of you," I said with a sigh.

"I'll be travelling to Dresden to see my grandfather," Takuma continued, "I'll collect you both about five in the evening outside Ikeada Inn."

"Why isn't Kaori here to listen to all of this as well?" I asked after a moment, realising that this could be considered very important if she was hunting a Level E vampire alongside me.

"The headmaster is speaking with her currently," Lord Kaname answered, "he failed to inform her of the different types of vampires that exist when he gave her the role of guardian."

"So she volunteered to hunt Level E vampires without knowing the dangers?!" I gasped, my voice escalating between pitches and reminding me of the sound my alarm would be making in the very near future.

"I've been assured that she knows how to protect herself effectively," Takuma stated, as if that would ease my worries and concerns.

All I could see when I closed my eyes, was Kaori and I getting into a fight with two Level E vampires, one of them taking her on while the other distracted me. Kaori getting hurt and begging for me to help her, to save her, but I couldn't break free from my fight to aid her. The last thought in my head was hearing her scream, having failed in her own fight.

"Goodnight, Hanabusa," Lord Kaname stated, ending the conversation as he closed his eyes and put his arm back over them.

My mouth dropped open on those words, my worries for tomorrow wishing to be voiced but I knew this wasn't the time for it. I closed my mouth and nodded slowly, turning on my heel to exit the room. Perhaps I was worrying over nothing at all, Kaori would be able to protect herself. Once it was over and the two vampires were dead, we could go for a coffee and talk since we had missed our conversation tonight. I'd have to make sure I brought money with me tomorrow and got enough sleep to hold a conversation before I saw her.

"Hanabusa?" Lord Kaname called as I reached the door, my hand on the handle.

"Yes, Lord Kaname?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder to view him, seeing that both of his eyes were open and focused on me.

"Ensure that Kaori Tachibana returns to this school, uninjured if possible," he stated before closing his eyes and returning to his previous position.

It seemed like a rather strange request to be made by the Pureblood, one I was certain had never been extended before. Why was he concerned for the welfare of another student who wasn't a member of the Night Class or his precious Yuki Cross? Before his eyes had closed, I had seen them glow a lazy crimson. There would be consequences should I return without Kaori beside me or if she was dead. He had offered me a small amount of leeway in relation to her being injured. I nodded, vowing to myself that I would return with her as she left the school.

"Certainly," I answered, "goodnight, Lord Kaname. Takuma."

"Goodnight," Takuma replied as I exited the room to go to bed.

Tomorrow was going to be a very long day…

* * *

The alarm's shrill sound continued to echo in my ears as I made my way to the front gate, yawning as I wiped my eyes of sleep. I hadn't been able to rest easy, imagining the worst case scenario for everything Kaori and I could do when we went up against the vampires. She could get bitten (that was a possibility), her death was on the other end of the spectrum and made me anxious for her safety in general. If I could, I'd make sure she stayed a good two hundred feet from the Level E vampires and I. She'd never have to get her hands dirty, and neither of us would get hurt, which would comply with Lord Kaname's request.

I could hear the gentle murmur of conversation as Day Class students slowly woke up and walked to their classes, noticing me fairly quickly and wondering what I was doing up and out around the school at this hour. I focused my attention on my shoes, nudging a small stone along the path as I took my time to reach my destination. Bu eventually, I found myself near the front gate where I saw Takuma was waiting for me with Kaori at his side, a smile on her lips. She was leaning against a stone pillar, her face lifted towards the sky to take in all the vitamin D she could in the short time she had left before our investigation started.

Her blonde hair was loose around her shoulders in gentle waves, the ends were curling as the sunlight made them shimmer like silver thread. Her skin was pale this morning, her grey/blue eyes sparkling as she lowered her face to look at me. She was out of her uniform, dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and a pair of dark boots that went to her knees. A white blouse covered her chest and had mid-length lace sleeves. She looked like a mirage to me, a beautiful vision, even without the silver bangles that graced her right wrist. I noticed a small black holster by her left leg that appeared empty, which made it seem like a belt or a fashion accessory.

"Hanabusa," she said gently as I moved forward to reach the pair, both of them focusing their attention on me.

"Kaori," I answered, "Takuma."

"Ready to get going?" she asked me as I nodded, turning on her heel to start walking down the stone steps to the car, which was waiting idly for us all.

"Please tell me you have a weapon," I whispered, knowing if she had something it would ease a small portion of the worry in my mind for today.

"Of course I do," she replied as she retrieved a long katana from the ground near her feet and showed it to me, before placing it in the holster on her left.

The sheath was painted a beautiful black with pink and white blossoms drawn by a true and talented artisan. The hand guard was decorated with what looked like metallic cherry blossom petals, which I knew would guard her against a Level E attack if one of the assailants had a katana himself. The handle of the blade was wrapped in a white grip with pink ribbon underneath it, a small charm of beads dangling off of it was a final decoration. She nudged the blade out of its sheath with her thumb, showing me the silver steel underneath. Etchings were marked into its surface, possibly the name of the artisan but I couldn't determine exactly what it said with my limited view of the katana and the sunlight shining almost directly on its surface. Kaori placed it back in the sheath and started her walk down the stairs once more, her hands behind her back as she looked forward. It was clear she wished to conclude this matter quickly.

"Can you use that?" I asked as I ran to catch up with her and Takuma.

Once I reached her side, I noticed she had a playful smile on her lips, her eyes were sparkling with mischief. She didn't seem as dainty as I had once thought she was…but it didn't stop the rabid beat of my heart or my sweaty palms. What if…

"Of course I can," she replied as she looked to me, "I've been training for years."

"When did you start then?"

"Around my twelfth I think," she replied, placing her hands on the handle, "I remember the same person, the one I told you about, who felt like an older brother to me, giving it to me as a gift. I didn't want it to go to waste, and reside in a corner of my room for the rest of my life…it meant something to him for me to weld it."

"And yet you don't remember his name…"

"It will come back to me," she whispered with a sigh, "eventually."

I knew that was her way of concluding that topic of conversation. That brother figure, the one she only remembered vaguely, must have been someone important to her. Was he still alive? Did he still keep tabs on her to make sure she was alright?

"Let's get going," Takuma said with a faint smile, motioning for us to continue down the stairs.

I stuck my hands in my pockets as I thought about the information she had given me over the last week. She spoke more of the mysterious boy than her own parents. It seemed rather odd that her parents had little to do with her upbringing, sending her off to live with her aunt at an unmentioned age, one she had yet to divulge. All I knew for certain, was Kaori Tachibana was a mystery, one I may never get the answer to. I looked at her as she walked down the stairs, seeing that smile on her lips. Something whispered to me that she hadn't smiled quite like that for years, that perhaps she hadn't been the only one who had felt lost. Maybe we had brought light and colour into each other's life, when all there had been before was monochrome shading. I didn't wish to ask her in case it upset her, so kept those stray thoughts to myself as we reached the car.

It was a standard limousine, one the Ichijou family owned for business purposes. Each of the aristocratic families had at least three limousines on retainer, more depending on how large the family was. I wasn't sure if Lord Kaname owned a limousine or if he made other arrangements. The few times I had seen him arrive at a social ball, he had been with Takuma. On top of that, I wasn't sure where the Pureblood resided when he wasn't with one of us. Did he live in the house his parents had once occupied? Or had he found somewhere new?

"Are you getting in, Hanabusa?" Kaori asked and I looked to the door of the limousine to see she had taken a seat, Takuma leaning out as well to view me.

"Yeah…sorry," I said quickly as I slid into the seat beside hers.

The door was closed by Takuma as the driver started the engine. I looked out the window to watch as Cross Academy faded behind us to nothing but a spot on a hill. I wasn't looking forward to climbing those stairs later on that evening, I was already tired from this excursion. But watching the smiling Kaori reinvigorated me, made me hope that today wouldn't be too horrible.

"Have you hunted Level E vampires before?" Kaori questioned, her eyes sparkling as both of us nodded, "do they fade to ash like in the books?"

"Books?" I asked her.

"You know, all the vampire books out there," she replied as Takuma laughed, "what's so funny?"

"You're basing your knowledge on fiction," I commented as she glanced over at me, "please tell me the headmaster didn't ask you to read a vampire fiction before going to bed last night."

"He told me about your hierarchal order of things," she replied as she put up her fingers, "there are Level E which means the end. They're ex-humans who've lost their sanity. Level D are recently turned humans, and still have some mental faculties. Level C are ordinary vampires, but does that mean ordinary like my aunt and I? Level B are aristocrats like you and Takuma. Level A are Purebloods, the only type in your race that can turn a human into a vampire. I remember the headmaster saying someone's name as a, you know…this person is a Pureblood, but I can't remember."

"Kaname Kuran is a Pureblood," Takuma stated once he had finished laughing, "he's the Moon Dormitory president."

"Seriously?!" she exclaimed, "does that mean he's royalty?!"

"We're run by a group of aristocrats known as the Senate. They dictate our laws and how we should exist. At one point, Purebloods would have been our version of the royal family…but Kaname isn't interested in politics."

"Why do you call him Kaname," she said before pointing to me, "but you call him Lord Kaname?"

"It's a sign of respect," I whispered, "though I don't remember saying that in front of you before."

"I heard it a few times when I was moving Day Class fans out of the way," Kaori replied with a smile, "Takuma is the only one I noticed who dropped the Lord before saying Kaname. Should I call him Lord Kaname? Or Mr Kuran?"

"You're not a vampire," Takuma stated simply, "so you can refer to him as Kaname."

"Thanks for letting me know," Kaori said with a sigh, "wouldn't want to embarrass myself in front of him."

The drive was quiet after that, Kaori choosing to look out the window and watch as our town faded to nothing. I watched her as Takuma spoke to his grandfather about his upcoming visit. I kept to myself, wondering what I could say in this car. I lifted my attention from the sleeve of my shirt to look at Kaori, seeing her long blonde hair and pale skin. Why did it feel like I had seen her before? Not as in a day or two previous, but years ago? The memory didn't come to mind and only caused a headache to form between my eyes when I thought on it. Had someone erased her from my thoughts? Had we been close before now?

"We're here," Takuma called out, breaking my trance so I was forced to look away from the beautiful girl.

"Does this place have a name?" I asked as Kaori opened her door and stepped out into the sunlight.

"The settlement does," Takuma answered as I got out, "but I have no idea what it is. Perhaps a local will let you know. Ikeada Inn is just to the right. Make sure Kaori doesn't speak."

"Why?"

"Girls, especially those Kaori's age, are not respected here. Men would consider them underlings, second class citizens. If you want information from them, you'll have to speak on her behalf."

"But didn't Naomi work here? Surely she was listened to."

"She was just another girl, another employee. So tread carefully. Phone me if you require assistance sooner than five."

"Thanks, Takuma," I said as I closed the car door and watched as it drove away from us.

"I think that's Ikeada Inn," Kaori said to me, a smile playing on her lips, "will we ask them about Naomi?"

"How about I ask the questions?" I whispered as I walked towards her.

"Sure," Kaori replied, a little uncertain at my statement as we walked into the Inn.

The main room was shrouded in cigar smoke, making it nearly impossible to see anything except a few lumps which I assumed were humans. Spilt alcohol lay on the floor, either forgotten about or not yet cleaned as I stepped in further. Kaori kept close, her hand on my back to remind me that she was there. The further I walked in, the more disgusted I became with the place. The room was bathed in the limited light of lanterns, which did nothing to illuminate the smoke filled room. I made out a few women sitting with men, pouring their drinks into small glasses like I had seen in old manga books from home. Each girl wore a different kimono, and each of them was in a varied state of undress. Were they waitresses or prostitutes? It was hard to tell as a man plucked at the bra string of one midnight-haired girl.

"Over there," Kaori coughed before lifting her hand to point to an older man, "maybe he's the manager?"

I nodded and took the lead, catching her arm to hold her tighter. We shouldn't split up in a place like this. If Kaori was left here, would they force her to become what those girls were? The thought disgusted me, made ice form between my fingers. Kaori ran her free hand along mine, calming me slightly as I took in the figure that looked like the manager. He was a stout man, dressed in traditional Japanese clothes, but had stacks of coins in front of him. His hair was falling to one side, suggesting a poor quality toupee. He had two girls sitting near him, one holding a bottle while the other was entirely undressed, her body on show to anyone who bothered to look over.

"Are you the manager?" I asked, coughing the first time I inhaled cigar smoke.

"Who's asking?" the man asked, his voice gruff from shouting, "not here to complain, are ye?"

"No," I answered, seeing him move his attention from me to Kaori, "we're here looking for Naomi Sakemaki."

"She yours?" he asked me, ignoring my question to point at Kaori, "I'll buy her from you."

"She's mine," I snapped, a little more venom in my voice than I had originally intended there to be, "do you know where I can find Naomi Sakemaki?"

"She's been missing for the last few days," he murmured, not impressed by my answer, "she wasn't one of mine if you wanted to complain."

"Do you know where she went?"

"I don't ask about their personal lives. Once they leave my establishment, I don't care what happens to them," the man muttered, "if you're not interested in getting served, you and your girl can go now."

He didn't want to give me any more information, whether he knew anything about Naomi or not.

"I'll serve him, if he wants," a young girl said from behind me.

I looked over my shoulder to see a pretty redhead, her skin painted white like Naomi's had been. Her kimono was intact and nearly as red as her hair. The manager must have seen her as the red girl only, not wishing to add a little more colour to her very thin frame.

"One drink," I replied, earning a nod from the manager as the redhead took us to a small table near the rear, away from the cigar smoke and other customers.

"Here," she said, putting a small glass in front of me and one in Kaori's hand.

She poured from a dark blue bottle into our glasses, which Kaori downed in one gulp. I sipped mine as the redhead ran her hands along my shoulder, mimicking a weak massage.

"Naomi told me about a manor not far from here," the girl whispered, "you go there for a good time."

"Naomi Sakemaki? Do you know anything else?"

"She stopped visiting the manor about a week ago, that men were invited to bite her. It scared her and then two days later, she's gone. No one knows what happened to her…"

"And you think this manor is the key?"

"It was owned by this really powerful family centuries ago, and should be abandoned. But last night, on my way home, I heard voices and lights were on. I think there is still someone there. Maybe they'll know where Naomi is."

"Is it far from here?" I asked her gently, "is it within walking distance?"

"About ten minutes," she whispered in response, "if you take the right alley as you leave here, you'll find a very uneven path. Follow it to the end and there will be a set of stairs that lead to a gate. The lock is rusted so you can just push it open and enter the manor."

"Thanks for your help," I said in a low voice, giving her the money for our drinks as we got up and left Ikeada Inn.

"That was uncomfortable," Kaori commented from my side, "I'm not sure how I'll get the smell of smoke out of my hair."

"I think tomato sauce could help…I'm not certain though," I said gently as I put my arm out to her, "a manor, huh?"

"Do you want a good time?" she asked and I shrugged my shoulders, "I thought Level E vampires were a little more…secretive."

"Why would they care if someone spotted them?" I asked her in response, "it's the biting comment that girl mentioned, it's bothering me."

"Someone invited men to bite Naomi," Kaori whispered, "wouldn't that suggest there's more than the two we were told about?"

"We'll investigate the manor," I said after a short pause, "and if we need to, we'll retreat and inform Lord Kaname and the headmaster about what we know. We won't run into danger if we can help it, even if Naomi is still alive."

"You'd let them kill her?"

"Kaori," I whispered, turning to hold her hands gently, "I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you because we ran into that manor without a plan."

"Because of me?" she whispered, uncertainty written into her eyes.

"Yes, because of you," I answered as I kissed her lips gently, quickly.

"Alright," she replied, a smile on her lips as she kissed my cheek, "I'll follow your lead…"

I nodded and caught her hand in mine, feeling the bones there along with the thin blue bracelet that was wrapped around her wrist. She was something of importance to a lot of people: her aunt, her parents (though they may not speak to her), Lord Kaname (for some unknown reason), this brotherly figure of hers and I. I would ensure she survived, that she alone escaped if we faced the worst scenario. I felt her squeeze my fingers gently and I looked into her eyes, seeing a kindred soul. This girl meant more to me than I could ever put into words.

"There," Kaori whispered, raising one hand to point to an uneven path, one I had almost missed, "I think that's the path she told us about."

I led the way down the path, made uneven by holes that had been dug out from rain over the years. The sides were covered by broken white fencing, which did very little to act as a windbreaker as we followed the directions given to us. Grass grew where it could, often in patches along the sides or straight down the middle, in places no one had stepped on for the last few months at least. At the end of the path, we reached a set of stairs which had been squeezed between two houses that must have belonged to the original manor, perhaps even a location for the servants to occupy or work tools to be stored in a shed. I leaned up on my toes to look in one broken window, making out the faint shape of a lawnmower that looked new. If the girl was right about the house being abandoned up until recently, I wouldn't see a reason for the occupants to tend to the garden. It was like they wished to draw attention to themselves.

"Hanabusa," Kaori called and I looked away from the window to see she had started climbing the stairs, "they're covered in algae. Be careful, it's sort of slippery."

"Will do," I replied as we used the houses on either side of us to act as support.

Kaori slipped twice and I once, causing her to scratch her knee on some broken stones. Once we reached the top of the stairs, I ripped a piece of her blouse to wrap around her knee. We both then looked to the rusted lock that hung at the gate. I stretched forward and unhooked it, letting it fall to the floor with an unholy clatter. Once we were finished here, whether we returned with more aristocrats or dealt with the situation ourselves, that lock was no longer required. I pushed the gate open and stepped into something I would have classed as paradise.

Compared to the outside path and the stairs we had just climbed, the manor was well maintained. It was set on what I considered to be the highest point of the Japanese settlement, there were no other houses up this far. It was clear that a lord had once resided here and looked over the town, no doubt acting as its leader when times were tough. The front garden was manicured with four apple blossom trees, two to each side, decorating the green grass, which had been recently mowed. That would explain the lawnmower at least. Rings of stones that sparkled like sapphires were the trees' enclosure and turf was their surface soil. A gravel path led to the front door which was polished grey and the sides were decorated with the finest flowers of the season. I was surprised they had started to bloom this early, they were one of Deanne's favourites. Between each set of trees was a bench, painted white with a few scattered petals on their surfaces, a plaque marked in gold with writing on it. I edged closer to read the one to my left, curious to see what they were dedicated to.

"Aoi Tanaka," I whispered, running my fingers along a date, "seems she died the day she was born."

"Len Tanaka," Kaori called out as I looked over at her.

I stepped back to the main path to look over everything else as Kaori returned to me, pointing to a small wooden gate not twenty feet in front of us. I had a feeling it would lead to the back garden, or something similar. It would have allowed the servants to enter the rear of the house while it had still been occupied. My eyes looked over the large estate, which had been painted a pale cream that showed no signs of chipping over the years. The windows were painted white to match the benches, with thicker white curtains behind them to protect the current residents from the harmful UV rays. The front door was painted to match the windows, with a few scraps of newspapers and letters scattered along the porch or stuffed through the letterbox. I walked closer, Kaori taking my side as I moved towards the porch and the post. I pulled one pamphlet free, and saw it was a voucher for a spa trip, one I knew to be in Berlin. I held it out to Kaori, who took it from me to look at herself.

"Perhaps you can take a break sometime," I mumbled and watched as she smirked.

"Maybe," she replied, tucking it into her pocket and returned her attention to the front door, "doesn't it seem rather strange to you?"

"Hmm?"

"Someone has been maintaining this property, and yet the only person we know to come up here was Naomi. People have been here with post, which wouldn't be normal if the house was abandoned. Even if someone was squatting inside…"

She dropped to her hunches and picked up a few letters to view, which had been mixed with vouchers and takeaway menus, opening them quickly to read before getting back to her feet. They were addressed to an Akira Tanaka, and mentioned a recent feast at the house. But it was unclear to me as to what the writer meant by those words.

"A meal so delicate, it was like a fountain of ambrosia," Kaori whispered to me, "your girl was more than enough to suppress my appetite for now, dear friend. Hopefully we can partake in a meal together soon."

"Is he talking about Naomi?" I asked as Kaori read through the rest of the letter, a look of disgust etched into her features before she dropped it to the floor.

"It doesn't say," she replied as she opened another, "this one is also addressed to Akira Tanaka."

Her eyes scanned the thick pieces of paper inside, not allowing me a chance to read it before she settled on one small section, running her finger along the words repeatedly.

"That virgin you presented to me, Tanaka-san, was delicious. Her blood soothed my throat like the elixir of life itself."

"Another missing girl?" I whispered and she nodded slowly, "what else does it say about her?"

"Unfortunately," Kaori said, a tear falling from her eyes to stain the paper, "she was too fragile for my tastes. Hopefully…you can provide…me with someone stronger the next time I visit you…"

"He killed her?!"

"Hanabusa," Kaori croaked, looking into my eyes, "the name Tanaka has been bothering me since I saw the plaque."

"Why?"

"I've read about them in history," she whispered, "they were monsters, Hanabusa. There were six of them: a father, a mother and four sons. She was beaten repeatedly over her short life by her husbands and sons. I think she was killed by one of them in this very house…"

"And him?" I asked, pointing to the letters in her hands, "Akira Tanaka?"

"He was the eldest son," she whispered, "he was set to inherit everything his father owned until their trial. He was the only one who escaped execution, leaving his family behind to their fates."

"When was this? His execution and everything else?" I asked her quickly, worried by that look in her eyes.

"1875," Kaori whispered.

"He's long since dead then," I reassured her, but she only shook her head before lifting the letters.

"These letters are dated within the last month, since Kotoko and Midori at least, Hanabusa. Either someone is using it as a pseudo name for the sake of not being found or…"

"Please tell me you're not suggesting Akira Tanaka survived," I whispered, clasping her shoulders tight, "he was human. Please tell me he was a human! Kaori!"

"I don't know," she whispered, her voice pitched low, "he was never found after he escaped this town. His death was never recorded anywhere and no corpse was ever located."

She looked anxious, her eyes were clouded with tears. There had to be something she wasn't telling me about Akira Tanaka. There was no evidence to suggest he was still alive and resided in this manor, or that he had been turned into a Level E for the last 140 years. I watched as Kaori put her hand on the handle of her katana, flicking the blade up a quarter inch, revealing the polished steel underneath. She appeared tense to me, over two letters written to a man who should be dead. I'd have to ask her about this later, once we were on our way home maybe. I moved to take the left side of the door, Kaori took the right and I looked over at her.

"I'll open the door and we'll check what's inside," I whispered to her, "don't leave my side for a moment, understand?"

"Okay," she replied, "I understand."

* * *

(Kaori's POV)

I watched as Hanabusa reached out his right hand to catch the handle…only for it to begin turning on its own. The door opened inch by inch, aiming into the darkened hallway rather than outwards to hit either him or me. I held my position, watching as Hanabusa mirrored me by pushing his back against the wall to make sure no one could grab him. We didn't want the Level E vampires to know we were here, not yet anyway. All of that would come with time.

"My, my," a deep masculine voice commented, "our guests appear to be rather shy. Please. Do come in from the garden."

I looked away from the open doorway to Hanabusa, hoping he could offer some guidance as to what we should do next. He appeared to be confused as to our current situation, nearly as much as I was. That was not good…nor comforting. This would be my first encounter with a Level E, and I remembered mentioning as much to Zero once we had started patrolling yesterday evening. He had pulled me away from my route and told me everything he knew about ex-human vampires, hoping it would make me better prepared for what I was about to face. His information had solidified what the headmaster had mentioned, making it all appear so much more real to me. He had informed me that they would come across as threatening, their clothes would be in a state of disrepair. They no longer cared for how they looked unless their master, a Pureblood, ordered it of them. More often than not, a Level E was left to roam freely after they had been turned, their masters having abandoned them. Zero had further explained to me that their voices would sound pitched or echoed to normal human ears, as if more than one person was speaking at the same time.

I looked away from Hanabusa to view the darkened interior of the manor once more, finding my heart was racing inside of my chest with each breath I took. I knew I was scared, and it was not because the vampire had invited us into his home, or that this had once been the residence of the Tanaka family (and could quite possibly still be), or that he probably already knew we were there to kill him. No, that wasn't what scared me the most. What did that, and sent tremors down my spine, was his voice. It didn't sound echoed or pitched to me, and reminded me more of an ordinary person having a pleasant conversation, similar to the ones I had had with Hanabusa between the school building and his dorm.

"You can leave your shoes on," the voice called out, "I'm afraid the cleaners failed to maintain the house to a similar standard as the garden."

"H-Hanabusa?" I croaked as I looked back to him, "what are we supposed to do now?"

"Lord Kaname never mention anything about other vampires," he replied, his eyes appearing startled, "we'll retreat for now and inform the others-"

"Now, now," the voice stated, and my eyes reluctantly returned to the door when I noticed a quick shift in movement.

The hallway was no longer empty, having been taken up by two male vampires. Their clothes were dishevelled and their eyes a matching shade of crimson red that reminded me of fresh blood. They looked like the description Zero had given me of Level E vampires. I pushed the katana up a little more out of its sheath, preparing myself to fight for our escape. One of the vampires turned his full attention on me, a smile playing on his lips which was partially obstructed by the protrusion of his fangs, still dripping in blood from a recent feast. He reached out and caught my arm, dragging me across the porch and towards his chest as the other vampire caught Hanabusa.

"I do believe that I invited you both inside," the voice commented, as if our reluctance to enter had upset him.

"Let her go!" Hanabusa snarled as he tried to attack the man holding him, but his body hadn't been put in an accommodating position to allow such movement.

"Move," the vampire holding me whispered in my ear, before pushing me over the threshold and into the manor, shortly followed by a grumbling Hanabusa. The door was locked behind us, alerting me to the fact that there was no escape now, we had to see this other vampire.

I could make out the door to a living space, one that was drenched in blood from victims of years gone by. The floor was covered in a fine layer of dust that left my footprints visible to anyone who bothered to look. Along the walls were paintings of the Tanaka family, their faces posed in neutral expressions. I could see the father and his four sons clearly, but his wife was always covered. It seemed as if someone had pressed blood along her face to hide her, as if they were disgusted as to their degree of relation to her. One painting I noticed was of a beautiful woman, her hair a pale blonde and her face had been painted like Naomi's had been, a kimono hanging off her shoulders as if to tease the viewer into thinking she would undress for them. The painting was held in an elaborate golden frame, one that was treated far better than the others. That was something I didn't understand.

I wasn't given much time to ponder those thoughts as I was moved along and into a grand hallway, with accents of gold and red. The walls were painted a pale cream that looked off-white, a border set in the middle with candles on it at regular intervals, a few lit for appearance's sake. The carpet was dark brown, nearly jet black. I didn't need an explanation to know it had been bought with the express purpose of hiding bloodstains from any person who wandered in here, looking for a "good time." The room led to two staircases which each made their way to a central balcony on the next floor, a portrait of a man and the blonde woman from before looking down on anyone who entered this house. The man was handsome, and one I recognised from my books as being Akira himself. In that portrait, he appeared at ease with the woman, holding her to his side with a level of care one might associate with lovers rather than simple companions. Had she been his wife before everything went wrong for the Tanaka family?

A faint smell drew my attention away from the portrait, leading my eyes to a dumping skip set near an archway with an overflow of female bodies, each contorted in death. One girl, visible to me from there, wore a traditional kimono in a similar style to that of the woman in the portrait. But there were obvious differences between the girls (this one had been brunette), which I had a feeling was the reason she had been killed to begin with. Those were the girls that we had been sent to locate, and a small part of mind knew the town had been right to presume them dead. Some of the girls had been abducted over six months ago with no sign that they had even existed since then. But none of that mattered to me, not when Hanabusa and I may be joining them. I swallowed some bile that had risen in my throat and focused on anything else I could see in the room, my intent to distract myself from them.

Set in the middle of the impressive hallway was a throne, decorated in ornamental golden embellishments and red cushions that appeared cheap to me and overused. To the right of the throne was one of the current missing girls, the one who had worked in Ikeada Inn, and who I knew to have once been called Naomi Sakemaki. She was sitting on her knees with a sick smile playing on her lips. Bite marks decorated the skin I could see that wasn't covered by a lacy negligee, which she wore with pride as if they were prizes. Her eyes were glassy and her hair was left limp along one of her shoulders, its once vibrant brown colour now reminding me of mud. Blood pulsed along her right shoulder and into the lace of her underwear from an open wound at her neck.

To the left of the throne was another girl, one I had seen a picture of but knew nothing of when she had been taken. Her name was Kotoko, and she had worked in a similar field as Naomi. Her appearance matched that of the other girl, albeit her lingerie was purple rather than Naomi's white. She sported similar bite marks to the other girl, only Kotoko wore them as if she deserved them, as if she needed to be punished in this run-down manor. Their eyes were eerie to look at directly, reminding me of a doll I had once owned as a child, but luckily for me, it didn't last very long. They had a poor attention span, no doubt due to severe blood loss, and once we had reached their quota, they returned their gazes to the man who was sitting in the throne, and whose gaze never wavered from Hanabusa or I.

"You may release the guests," the man commented with a dismissive wave.

Hanabusa looked me over as I ran one hand along my arm, hoping to return blood-flow to it quickly. His eyes appeared hard like ice and twice as angry as he moved closer. He didn't touch my hand, nor make any form of contact. Something deep inside of me told me that should one of the vampires move to attack us, Hanabusa would strike him down. Well, I only hoped that was why he was acting the way he was. I would help him to the best of my ability, grateful that I had been allowed to keep my katana.

I looked away from the aristocrat to view the man sitting in the throne, discovering quite quickly that he was a tall person. His long blond hair had been tied at the nape of his neck with a piece of lace, most likely removed from one of the girls prior to our visit. His eyes were a gentle emerald green that seemed to suit his face, giving him the essence of a trustworthy person, one a girl would gladly follow into hell. No doubt that was what Naomi, Kotoko and the other girls had done anyway. It might have been when he invited others to drink from them that made her panic and leave…only to return here to him as a puppet. I shook my head out and looked over his face, seeing his skin was an ivory white and his lips looked nude. He had decided to wear a pair of dress black trousers and a white shirt which had been left unbuttoned slightly to reveal his chest, which was hairless and practically unblemished, albeit the silvery scar over his heart. Had someone attempted to murder him years ago? Were they dead now?

He was leaning on his right arm, his head balanced in the palm of his hand as he flicked his gaze between Hanabusa and I, before focusing on me. He crossed his left leg over his right and leaned back into his throne, giving the appearance of a person who was completely in control. I could make out his shoes, which appeared to be made of an expensive leather. This man had to come from money, that much was clear but what I didn't understand, was what he was doing here. Why was he in the remains of the debilitated Tanaka manor? My eyes moved up to the portrait once more, not sure why Akira struck a chord with me, until I looked back at the man sitting in front of me. With that fact acknowledged in my mind, I felt my body run cold. I gulped once and attempted to swallow my fear…with rather limited success.

"I apologise for the state of my home," Akira muttered with another dismissive wave of his hand, "I wasn't expecting to receive any guests this afternoon. Let alone such a beautiful one at that."

"What should we do now, Master?" the vampire behind me asked.

"You can both go and guard the front door," Akira stated, "I wouldn't want to startle our guests away before we had a drink."

I heard both of them grumble as they disappeared to take up their respective posts. I took deep breaths to calm myself as I looked at Akira, wondering why it had to be him. I had read that the majority of criminal activity linked to this family had been his doing, and he had left his brothers to hang for it.

"Shall we proceed with this visit?" he asked as he looked over us both, "how about we introduce ourselves. I'll start. My name is-"

"Akira Tanaka," I croaked, wanting him to confirm it.

"That's my birth name," he replied with a sigh, "I go by Ryuu Akagawa these days. Unfortunately, some of my guests have yet to receive that message. But alas, I digress. What about you two? What are your names?"

I looked to Hanabusa, wondering what he wanted us to do in a situation like this. Why was the person we were supposed to kill being a nice host to us? Why bother acting in this manner?

"I've often spoken with those who were never taught manners, such as yourselves," Ryuu muttered with a sigh, "but I'm feeling oddly generous today, and shall impart some of my wisdom to you both. I've found my lessons may come across as…threatening, but I've always enjoyed the carrot/stick approach, as my father did before me. So, you will tell me your names and I won't kill these two beautiful women today. How does that sound?"

"What?!" Hanabusa shouted, sounding rather indignant as ice began to form at his feet in spikes.

Ryuu smirked, clearly impressed that he had received a reaction from someone. He looked over at me before leaning closer to Naomi who lifted her head to expose her neck to him. I knew he wasn't going to bite her, which was probably what she was hoping for. She wanted to please him, he was her puppeteer after all. The girl that her parents were looking for was long since dead, and what had replaced her was this empty husk of a girl. I clenched my hands, feeling the bite of my nails in my palms, before deciding that she wouldn't die over something as trivial as my name. It wasn't worth it.

"My name is Kaori Tachibana!" I shouted at the top of my voice, forcing Ryuu to cease moving to glance over at me.

"Kaori…that is a pretty name," he commented, "reminds me of a woman I knew a very long time ago. What about you then?"

"Hanabusa Aidou," Hanabusa replied, his voice edgy as the ice melted at his feet.

"You must be the heir to the Aidou family that I've heard so much about," Ryuu stated in an off-hand manner, "you did look oddly familiar to me. But Kaori…I've never seen you in this town before."

Was I supposed to be upset at this news?

I held my tongue, not sure how I could answer a statement like that considering the situation I had found myself in. I watched as he got to his feet slowly, as if it were a nuisance, and walked towards me. His hand was extended to catch my chin, holding it tight as he forced me to look into his emerald green eyes, a crimson shimmer within their depths.

"I have heard of the Tachibana family before however," he whispered with a smile playing on his lips, "you must be the missing daughter of Sakura and Yuuji Tachibana."

Those names didn't sound familiar to my ears, and as such, they meant nothing to me. My parents hadn't been in my life, not for one moment that I could remember. Did it really matter who they were? Were they important to this situation? Did their names mean something?

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about," I replied as I pulled my face out of his grip.

"Oh, that's right. I completely forgot the rest of the story," he whispered, "you were abandoned as a baby, your parents didn't want you."

"Don't you dare say that to her!" Hanabusa snapped, his hands visibly clenched as more ice spread across the floor, his eyes focused on Ryuu.

The vampire looked over at Hanabusa, before reaching forward. I watched with a scream on my lips as he punched Hanabusa, which resulted in the latter landing against the far wall with a deafening thump. His body was limp, and his back was to me, not allowing me to see his face or if he was hurt.

"Hanabusa!" I screamed, feeling the tears as they ran down my cheeks.

"I don't appreciate an aristocratic brat telling me what to do, especially in my own home!" Ryuu snarled before looking back at me, his eyes glowing a predatory red.

Was it alright to be terrified now?

"You do smell rather appealing," he whispered softly, "perhaps I'll dispose of him and keep you by my side. Would you like that, Kaori?"

"Not even in your dreams," I shouted as I removed my katana from its sheath and levelled it at his chest, seeing him as the threat he was, "I won't be your puppet!"

Those last words had flown from my mouth without my consent, as if someone else was saying them for me. I remembered vaguely saying those exact words to another person, years previous in a room without windows, but I couldn't see who it had been. I knew with a sense of certainty that I hadn't held a weapon at the time, and had been a lot younger than I was now.

"A puppet?" the vampire asked as he started laughing, "that would require maintenance. You would be a prized possession, unlike Naomi and Kotoko. They're merely my slaves that feed those I order them to."

"You destroyed them!"

"They are no longer human, if that's what you mean," he replied, running his finger along the top of my katana, "but why are you threatening me? I've done nothing untoward to you."

"Perhaps you should," Naomi said from behind him, a smile playing on her lips as Kotoko giggled in response.

"Perhaps you're right," Ryuu commented as he stepped away, taking a seat at his throne, "you interest me, Kaori. So I propose a game, if you would be so inclined."

"What would I gain from playing your game?" I asked, and saw him smile.

He whistled, making a high pitch screeching sound echo in my ears. Naomi and Kotoko giggled manically from his sides, clapping their hands as if happy to hear him as he whistled. I looked away from Ryuu to see the two vampires from before, returning to the hallway with twisted smiles playing on their lips.

"My game," the man stated simply, "is a battle, a fight to the death if you will. If you win, I will grant you and your friend freedom."

"And if you win?"

"Your friend is of no use to me, so he will be disposed of," Ryuu replied, "and you will remain at my side, superior to Naomi and Kotoko for the rest of eternity. How does that sound?"

"A fight?" I questioned and he nodded, "against who?"

"You will start with the two behind you. Do that, and I'll consider entertaining you myself, Kaori."

I looked to Hanabusa, and wished I could see his face. Was he still alive? Was this fight worth nothing?

"Your friend is still alive," Ryuu said gently, "for the time being. Do you accept my terms, Kaori Tachibana?"

We had to escape this. There were no other options. I looked to Ryuu, to Akira Tanaka and nodded. He smiled, and motioned for the two behind me to proceed. I wasn't given much in the way of a warning before one of the men launched himself at me, his nails extended and scratched deep into my shoulder. I screamed, dropping to my knees with the katana running parallel to my leg as I lifted my free hand to touch the injury. A quick glance told me there were four lines, but how far they went down my back or how deep they were…I couldn't determine myself. The pain was incredible, something I had never felt before in my life. If that was only the first attack, how was I supposed to fight someone stronger than these two?

"Give her a moment," Ryuu stated calmly, before looking over at me, "have you thrown in the towel, Kaori?"

"Never!" I snarled as I looked towards Hanabusa's back.

"I've already told you that he's alright," Ryuu said with a smile, "I can promise you that I didn't hit him that hard."

"Why did you hit him at all?!" I demanded as I got to my feet slowly, using my katana as a brace, "Hanabusa did nothing wrong!"

"I believe he gave me an order," he answered, leaning forward so his hands were resting on his knees, "and the last time I checked, I didn't respond to vampires below me."

"Below you?"

"I am a Pureblood, your friend there is a lowly aristocrat."

"You hit him because he was an aristocrat?!" I snapped, finding my heart was racing inside my chest, "he did nothing wrong! All he's done, is look out for me! All he's ever done…and you hit him! You hurt him! You're a monster!"

"Are we getting angry, Kaori?" he laughed as I held the handle of my katana tighter.

My heart raced like a hummingbird's, my skin felt hot and my eyes…it was like everything slowed down for me in a moment. I turned my body towards one of the vampires, and rushed him, bringing my katana down along his centre. His consistency was no longer hard, but reminded me of warm butter. I didn't give him another moment as his body collapsed and I turned to run at his associate, seeing a look of apprehension in his red eyes. He put his hands up in surrender as I stalked closer, raising my blade and bringing it down as I had with his friend. A smile consumed my face as he died at my feet. I took in deep breaths, feeling my body hum from the adrenaline coursing through my blood. It was the sound of clapping that broke my trance, freed me from the monster who wished to cut into everything before her.

"My, my," Ryuu commented as he concluded his slow clap, "who knew you possessed such talent. I thought there were none of you left alive. My intel must have been incorrect, considering you're standing before me, bathed in their blood."

"Will you fight me now?!" I snarled, knowing the monster within me was standing on the edges, not completely out of my reach.

"You think you could honestly take on a Pureblood? And win?" Ryuu asked, raising one eyebrow as if the idea amused him, "seriously?"

"I know I can take you," I answered, my voice like steel as I raised the katana.

I pushed myself forward, my eyes hot as everything slowed down again. My blade was lifted high, ready to strike the Pureblood where he sat. But it was not to be and my sword made contact with another, pinning me in place. The one who brandished it was not the vampire named Akira, but by Hanabusa himself. I stumbled backwards when I saw his eyes, which seemed glassy and empty, devoid of life or reason. He moved the short sword to point at my heart, the tip three inches from my ruined blouse.

"This game of ours, is moving rather…rapidly. I don't want to end my time with you as soon as you would like, Kaori. So if you can kill your friend and the heir to the Aidou family, I'll fight you myself. What do you think?"

"Hanabusa?" I whispered, the monster receding as I lowered my katana to the floor, "hey, Hanabusa. It's me. It's Kaori. Can you hear me?"

"Do you think he cares?" Ryuu asked, leaning to the side of his throne to view me, "what did you call the others? Puppets? That's all he is to me, Kaori. He is no longer your Hanabusa, he's mine."

"Hanabusa! Please!" I begged, refusing to attack him (much to the monster's dismay), "it's me. It's Kaori. You have to break his control. You don't want to hurt me. You told me we would leave here together!"

Hanabusa moved forward, and I attempted to back away, but he was far faster than me. I felt the bite of the blade before I saw it, the pain radiated along my left arm from a wound in my shoulder, an exact opposite to the scratch marks. I gasped, and looked into his eyes. There was a faint spark of recognition, but not nearly enough to fight the compulsion he was under. There was still hope…even if I could now see a bruise forming along his right eye from Ryuu's punch.

"Hanabusa," I whispered as he blinked, a few tears running down his cheeks.

He wasn't completely lost to me; he could still hear my voice.

"Hanabusa…everything will be alright. I promise," I whispered to him as I lifted my right hand to wrap around the sword, removing it from my shoulder before collapsing to the floor.

I took an unsteady breath, my lungs demanded that I scream but I gritted my teeth. There was a time and a place, and this wasn't it. It took a moment before I could get to my feet, and looked to the katana in my hands. I had once been told by a friend of mine, that if I truly feared hurting someone during a fight with a blade, to use the back of the katana…that it was close to blunt. It would feel like I was hitting them with a lead pipe, but it wouldn't kill them. Perhaps I could defend myself with it and avoid hurting Hanabusa…but instead of me holding the back to protect myself should it come to that type of fight, my hands would be cut by the sharper side. I wasn't given much of an opportunity to ponder this dilemma as Hanabusa charged forward once more. I pushed myself away and turned the blade upside-down, seeing the sparkle of the sharp side as it faced me. Hanabusa moved forward again and I swung the blade, knocking into his shoulder and momentarily making him stumble.

"You won't kill him?" Ryuu asked as Hanabusa struggled to regain his balance, "even if it means saving yourself?"

Hanabusa launched himself forward, his short sword running across my stomach as I backed away. I lifted my katana again and hit his shoulder with a little more force than was truly necessary. I watched as he fell to his knees in front of me, his short sword forgotten about as I kicked it out of reach.

"No," I replied as I looked into his glassy eyes, before raising the katana to hit his head, using enough force to render him unconscious and out of the reach of the Pureblood, "and now you can't play with him. But at least now, you can fight me."

"You're still considering your ability is on par with a Pureblood?" he asked, smirking from his throne.

"I will enjoy killing you," I whispered softly as I turned the katana back to normal, sharp side pointing down.

I watched as he got to his feet rather slowly, and Kotoko handed him a katana. It was ornate and in a blood red sheath. He didn't care for decorations or accessories like mine, but that didn't matter. He was an offensive fighter, allowing me a limited opportunity to take the defensive and block his attacks. My body felt sluggish, as if I had used up the majority of my energy fighting his men and Hanabusa. He leaned forward with his sword, using his weight to work against me, catching my legs and my arms on occasion when I wasn't fast enough. I stumbled out of his reach and held my katana tighter, seeing the white of my knuckles as I viewed him, blood pulsing from a cut on my hand. The white of the handle was stained red, much to my own dismay.

"Where has the girl who took on my men gone?" he asked as he looked over his sword, "I want to fight her, not some poor substitute."

I wasn't able to answer that question as I wasn't sure of the answer. Where had that girl gone? Had she left me when I refused to kill Hanabusa? My arms began to tremble under the pain and the weight of the katana, my body wished to collapse on the dirty floor below us.

"I'm not interested in fighting you like this, it would be only too easy," Ryuu commented, "but how can I make her return…oh whatever shall I do?"

He walked backwards, his feet running along the blood splatters the carpet hadn't been able to cover. I felt my breath catch as he stopped to peer at Hanabusa, his body on one side as he slept, oblivious to the world around him. I watched as he lifted Hanabusa by his neck, holding him a foot from the floor with his feet dangling. He squeezed tight, allowing me see the white of his throat as the blood flow was cut off temporarily.

"You were especially protective of him," the Pureblood said with a smirk, "our fight hinged on his life, wasn't it? So what if I did this?"

He bit Hanabusa, making the aristocrat gasp. My heart raced inside my chest, adrenaline coursed through my body as I screamed. Ryuu released Hanabusa to fall to the floor, before looking at me, blood decorating his teeth as he smiled. My skin felt hot and my eyes were burning as I howled. The world was painted red as I threw myself forward, my katana clenched tight as I aimed for his heart. The monster took control, her grip on me tighter than it had been before. Her voice promised me that everything would be alright, that I could release my control and give it to her. That she would kill Ryuu Akagawa for me.

So I did.

Ryuu had a second to raise his sword to defend himself as I pushed against him, my teeth clenched as I glared at him.

"Now that's what I'm talking about," he stated as he deflected my attack, pushing me into a somersault where I skidded along the floor, one hand touching the ground while the other held the katana at an odd angle.

I threw myself forward again, making sure to act quickly before he could defend himself. The world slowed down to nothing, my body moving at a speed I had never felt before. But it didn't matter, and I felt the monster consume me like she had before. Before? Had I felt this raw power previously? The memory was vague, too vague to ascertain when it had happened…only that the longer I fought Akira, the angrier the monster inside of me became. My attacks were faster and far more lethal, no longer interested in playing his game. My katana caught Ryuu on more than one occasion, his sword only running along my skin a handful of times, but not enough to break through this trance. Nothing mattered to me, except Hanabusa and escaping this hell hole of a manor. I had to kill Ryuu…that was what her voice whispered seductively in my ear.

 _"_ _Kill him and everything will be safe. Kill him and Hanabusa will live…"_

I pushed my blade through his heart and watched as he froze, his katana falling to the floor with a clatter. He coughed, blood spilling along his lips. He dropped to his knees and I followed, my hand still resting on the handle of the sword. My eyes noted that his blond hair was now streaked with blood, his eyes appeared tired as he looked up at me. His chest was bare, his clothes torn to shreds as I removed the sword slowly. I saw a vague reflection of myself in his eyes, saw bright red eyes and hair as white as snow. He lifted one hand to run along the wound at his heart which didn't seem to heal, a faint smile on his lips.

"Master!" one of the girls cried, wishing to run to his aid.

"That was…quite a…game," Ryuu coughed as I pressed the tip of my blade over his heart again.

"I win," I whispered as I pushed the blade back into his heart.

He nodded slowly, his body sparkling in the small room before looking back at me. He gave me a smile, one that meant nothing to me as I tilted my head to the side. Was he trying to garner sympathy from me? Did he wish for me to save him?

"You are an anomaly, dear Kaori," he whispered softly as he closed his eyes, "be wary of those who wish to use you."

His body exploded into crystals on those words, a few flew upwards to rise into the sky before disappearing from my view altogether. I looked back at where his body had been, seeing the remains of his clothes and a small necklace. I leaned closer to pick it up, running my thumb along the gold before opening it. It was a locket with a picture of the young woman, her blonde hair and eyes like a photograph. Perhaps he was returning to her, but did it matter if he did?

The screams of the girls brought my attention to the fact that there were still two more vampires I needed to take care of. I pushed myself to my feet, stumbling slightly as I walked closer. No other girl would be lured up here to her death, no villager would fear this place again. They looked at me, shying away when they saw me clearly, the way their master had seen me. I lifted my katana again, looking first at Naomi and then Kotoko.

"You can no longer return to the village," I whispered softly, raising the katana slowly, "you cannot return to your families…"

* * *

(Hanabusa's POV)

"Hanabusa?" a gentle voice called and I opened my eyes slowly, feeling a sharp pain in my shoulder and my head.

Black shadows consumed my vision temporarily before receding to the edges, with a light too bright above me, forcing me to squint in order to see anything nearby. Once I had adjusted to my location, I found what had called for me. His blond hair was combed and shadows were under his eyes as if someone had broken his nose recently. He was dressed as I remembered, but I wasn't sure of how much time had passed since I had last seen him.

"Takuma?" I whispered, placing my hands on the cold stone ground to move myself from whatever position I had been put into.

"Don't move just yet," he said gently, putting his hand on my shoulder, "you're injured."

I winced before nodding to him. He could see more of my injuries than I could as I looked around where I had been placed. I recognised a street and Ikeada Inn, a limousine was waiting for us before it occurred to me that there was someone missing.

"Where's Kaori?" I asked Takuma, who seemed as confused as I was.

"I don't know," he replied, "she phoned to let me know you needed to be collected, that you'd be waiting here. But when I arrived, I only saw you. What happened with the Level E vampires?"

I closed my eyes in order to focus on those memories, to find an answer to his question. I remembered seeing two vampires, one holding Kaori while another held me. A man and two of the missing girls, watching us. I forced myself to remember anything, soon seeing Kaori, her eyes sad and desperate. I could see her white blouse, stained red with blood as she held her katana tight in one hand.

 _"_ _Hanabusa, everything will be alright. I promise."_

The next thing I could recall was Takuma, and I wasn't sure why Kaori wasn't with us here. Where had she gone?

"I don't know," I whispered as Takuma put his arm under my shoulders, "but we have to find her."

"We will," he said gently as he brought me to the car, "where were the Level E vampires?"

"A manor, set on a hill near Ikeada Inn," I answered, turning us both so I could point it out to him, "up there."

He nodded slowly, his green eyes intent on this new location. I'd accompany him if he went up there, knowing there could still be a monster waiting in the dark to pounce. But all plans were put on hold when Takuma's phone buzzed to life, an incoming call from someone I couldn't see the name of. He answered it quickly, pressing it into the crease of his shoulder as he eased me into the limousine, allowing me to rest across the backseats. He followed, taking a space opposite me as he listened to the caller.

"Kaname, what are you saying?" he asked as he looked into my eyes, "I've only just arrived at Ikeada Inn. How did Kaori get back to the school?"

"What time is it?" I croaked as he looked to his watch and showed me the time. It was four in the afternoon, and I was missing at least three of those hours from my memory. What had happened in that manor?

"Hanabusa is with me," Takuma continued as he closed the door by my feet, "I'll return immediately. Do you know what condition Kaori is in? Is she alright?"

Had she been injured? Had the blood on her blouse been hers or someone else's? Had I let her down?

"Very well," Takuma said after a brief pause, "we're leaving Ikeada Inn now and should be back at the school in half an hour. I'll bring Hanabusa to the infirmary to check his injuries before bringing him to you. Yes…he's injured. I'll pass along your message. Goodbye."

Takuma hung up on Kaname and pressed the phone to his lower lip, which appeared to be trembling. What had Lord Kaname told him? Had he questioned my injuries? Takuma looked over his shoulder at the driver, whispering "Cross Academy" to him before the car lurched forward.

"How long has she been at the school? Why didn't she wait for me? Why did she leave me there?" I asked, firing the questions in quick succession as Takuma checked over the injuries on my face.

"She's been at the school for the last hour, Kaname noticed her stumbling to the main school building but was unable to speak to her. He thinks she returned to her dormitory room, and asked Yuki to check on her, but neither of the guardians have heard from her or seen her. Was she injured do you recall?"

"I don't know," I answered meekly, "I only remembering seeing blood on her clothes. Everything else, is a blur to me…"

* * *

(Kaori's POV)

I opened the heavy mahogany door slowly and pushed it against the wall with my foot, using the katana to keep me steady. I stepped in and turned on the lights, seeing my bedroom the way I remembered it from this morning. I was the only one who occupied this space, the only student in this school who had a room exclusively to herself. I even had my own bathroom, which considering the day I'd just gotten through, I was grateful for. I closed the door behind me and let the katana drop to the floor with a noisy clatter before making my way slowly to the bathroom, my body swaying as I clutched my head. My clothes were ruined, torn to shreds and drenched in mine and other people's blood. I pulled the blouse over my head sluggishly, before undoing the clasp of my bra.

The scabs that had formed along the scratches and the stab wound broke and opened, making them bleed as if I had just received them. I ignored the pain as I turned my attention to the bath and turned on the hot water. With that small feat accomplished, I struggled out of my shredded jeans and destroyed boots. Once those were removed and my skin felt raw, I looked to a full length mirror that stood to the ceiling by the vanity table. My shoulder was marked deeply by Hanabusa's blade, along with my stomach which bled slowly. My legs were a criss-cross of patterns that matched my arms and my hand, which I clenched tight. I turned to the side to view my shoulder, seeing the scratches reached mid-spine in length and were as deep as the stab wound.

I looked at the skin that wasn't puckered or red to see the pale ivory I was used to, no longer porcelain as it had been. I raised my uninjured hand to pull my hair forward, threading my fingers along the curls to see it was the same light blonde I recalled from this morning, and not the snowy white it had been in Ryuu's eyes. I leaned closer to the mirror to view my eyes, seeing the familiar blue/grey colouring that I had inherited from my parents, and I was uncertain as to which one. Where was the crimson red I had seen in his eyes? Where was the monster who resided inside of me?

She had disappeared once I had reached the front gates of the school, her time concluded as she faded to my memories. I had stumbled across the courtyard, thankful when no one noticed me. I had then walked to the infirmary, retrieving medical materials in order to repair myself of today's injuries, knowing my body wouldn't heal like a vampire's. She had allowed me enough energy to carry Hanabusa away from the Tanaka Estate and to a small abandoned shop that faced Ikeada Inn. I had then been able to use his phone to call Takuma to retrieve him, leaving the terms vague such as "ready to be collected". I didn't specify who was being collected, or how many of us would be waiting for the limousine. I had then walked back to the school, taking my time as I waited for my eyes to stop seeing red.

I looked away from my reflection to turn off the tap, not wishing for the water to overflow as I stepped into the warmth. I closed my eyes as I sat down, pulling my knees as close to my chest as my body would allow before wrapping my arms around them. I rested my chin on the bone before opening my eyes, watching as the clear water was dyed pink by my blood before eventually, it altered itself to a dark red that appeared like I had run a bath of blood tonight. I grabbed a cloth that I left near the taps and ran it across my skin to clean myself, taking care with every injury before emptying the blood red liquid and refilled the bath with fresh water. With the next bath, I washed my hair before getting out, tying it up in a bun before draining the water once more. I grabbed the bag I had used to put the medical supplies in before sitting in front of the mirror. I cleaned out each wound, stitched what I could of my shoulders before bandaging myself up tight.

With that completed, I exited the bathroom and entered my bedroom to put on a vest and a pair of long pyjama bottoms. I set the alarm by my head for an hour earlier than what I was used to, knowing I would need the extra time to get dressed before class. The only injury I wouldn't be able to hide would be my hand, the rest of me would be covered by my uniform in one form or another. I could always say that I tripped, that I hurt my hand while on patrol.

I pulled back the blankets of my bed and crawled underneath, shivering by the immediate cold I could feel on my skin. The smell of antiseptic made me feel nauseous for a moment before it too settled, around the same time as the bed began to warm up. I pulled the blanket over my head carefully and turned my face into my pillow, feeling the warmth of tears as they fell from my eyes. I could no longer fight them, no longer control the fountain of emotion that had welled up inside of me. Images of Naomi and Kotoko, of the two men and Ryuu flew through my mind as I bit back each sob I wanted to vocalise. But I was silenced momentarily by a faint knock that resounded through the room, a person on the other side of the door waiting for me to answer. But I didn't want to see anyone, nor speak to them. I'd only break apart as I was now and they wouldn't be able to understand.

"Kaori?" a voice asked, "it's Takuma Ichijou. Are you in there?"

"Go away," I whispered, knowing my voice was too low for even him to hear me.

"Kaori?"

"Please, go away," I repeated in my low voice as he sighed.

"Hanabusa is worried about you. He's fine, a few bruises but nothing too serious.," Takuma continued for a moment, but when I didn't respond or answer the door, he sighed once more, "I'll see you tomorrow, Kaori. Sleep well."

I listened to his footsteps as they faded from my door and down a set of stairs, towards the rest of the dormitory. When he was out of earshot, I lifted my hands to cover my ears, and allowed myself to feel the pain I had kept at bay.

"What have I done…?" I croaked, my cries muffled by my pillow, "what have I done…?"

No one answered the questions I wanted to understand. No one was in that room other than me. I closed my eyes and continued to cry until exhaustion overtook me and I lost my grip on my consciousness. My dreams were bathed in red, a girl who looked familiar sat in a throne decorated with tacky red pillows that appeared worn. She was the monster I feared, the one who resided inside of me, with her eyes glowing red as a smile spread across her face…

 _"_ _Shall we play again sometime soon, Kaori?"_

* * *

 **I hope I made the fight scene interesting :) Did you like Kaori? What did you think of what Ryuu/Akira said to her? If you have anything to ask, you can PM me or leave me a review :) Until next time, TTYL :)**


	3. The Lonely Girl

**Hi everyone, a third chapter here for you to read :) Hope you enjoy it :)**

* * *

(Kaori's POV)

The sun crept slowly across the hardwood floor of my attic bedroom, ensnaring half of my bed in its evening glow. I felt the gentle warmth of it on the skin that I had left bare, making me feel safe and secure in a world I knew to be made up of shadows and monsters that lurked where the eyes could not see. I had decided to ignore my alarm clock that morning, as I had for the last few days, with the promise that I would return to my normal schedule tomorrow. Tomorrow never came and my isolation continued. As of that moment, I preferred to remain alone in my bedroom with the curtains open, where I could keep those I cared for safe, compared to being outside, patrolling in the awful cold or socialising with the few friends I had made in my short time here.

I stretched my arms out carefully, being wary of the bandages that decorated my body, as my hands hung off the edges of the bed to hang in the open air. My knees were bent, my toes tentatively running along the thick dark blue throw at the bottom of my bed, which reminded me of the days I had spent with my aunt or back in my old school, where things were considerably easier to comprehend and life was far more simple than it was now. That throw had been a gift to me from my friends, to mark the end of one adventure and the start of another, one without them by my side. I kept my eyes closed as I turned my head to face the window, enjoying the temporary image of my red-tinged eyelids as I focused on my breathing.

 _Breathe in…breathe out…breathe in…breathe out…_

My favourite violin, a pale hazel coloured one that had been a gift from my aunt when I was younger, lay against my right side. The scroll was tucked into the crease of my arm with the neck resting against the stitches of my stab wound, conveniently located just under my shoulder. The same one Hanabusa had given me a few days previous. The presence of the wooden instrument didn't cause me any pain, at least not as it lay there, which gave me a small amount of relief. At least my injuries weren't nearly as serious as I had once thought they were, not that I would have gone for assistance, or sought it, had they been.

It was due to those same injuries, that I could no longer do half the things I had once enjoyed, once considered a very crucial part of my normal and everyday routine. I would have been practising each song I had chosen for the upcoming competition, spending hours in this room alone, just to recite the notes and time myself. But now, my ability to play the violin had been forcibly limited to a few short minutes, and anything more was pure agony. I had already scratched the body of the hazel violin when I dropped it, the pain in my shoulder forcing me to wince earlier that morning. But the damage was nothing too serious as to render it unplayable, and wouldn't cost me much to repair a cosmetic problem. I hoped anyway…

I took a deep breath and sighed. I wouldn't allow myself the opportunity to dwell on the negative thoughts that surged through my mind, whispering to me that I was worthless if I couldn't play the violin. That there was nothing more to me than that one instrument, or those songs I played. Instead, I blocked those whispers and passed the time learning the notes for Greensleeves, making sure I could recite them blind when the time came that I could return to my practise routine. That one song was a judge's selection, a mandatory piece that I had to play during the competition. Every violinist who took part had to play it before moving onto our favourite song (or our chosen piece if someone else had picked the song) with an optional accompaniment should it be required. We could be accompanied by a piano, other violinists or another instrument of our choosing.

A small purple notebook was resting near my head, just above my left ear, with the names of some songs written down. Ones I had been listening to recently on repeat. I had circled the ones that had interested me while other titles had been scratched out once I had realised just how difficult they were to play. My current favourite was El Tango De Roxanne, a beautiful piece I remembered hearing in the movie Moulin Rouge before I moved to Cross Academy. My friends had put it on, before curling up in our throws with popcorn and drinks. I could still see their smiles…

Since the sun had risen that morning, and I had woken up, I had been weighing the pros and cons against each other on whether or not I should play such a piece. Would it sound nearly as captivating, as heart-braking as it had been in the movie, when it was played by a solo violin? Or would it be better for my audition if I contacted a few other violinists and asked them to accompany me alongside a pianist? What would the song sound like when it was played with a piano? Should I scrap the piano concept altogether and go for someone who could play the cello?

Those were the questions I had been asking myself constantly, knowing I could phone the company that was hosting the competition, Blue Skies, about it. I could leave my details with them and see if any other violinist would be interested in accompanying me for my audition. This competition, as far as I was aware, had the ability to determine our futures, whether for the better or for the worst. First place would be awarded handsomely; the winner would become the new face of Blue Skies and their audition would be made into a downloadable single. It was because of that, I knew that this could be a cut-throat competition, and if one violinist saw the potential of being seen more prominently during the competition, such as becoming an accompanist on multiple songs, recruiters would consider them highly. I had seen some accompanists who didn't win the overall competition, but were offered contracts with other companies. It had happened in my first competition many years ago, when I had only been a mere spectator in the audience. Who was to say that it couldn't happen again?

A faint knock at my bedroom door pulled me free from my imaginings and thoughts, bringing me back to a reality I had wished to forget. With a sigh, I opened my eyes reluctantly and glanced away from the window to look in the general direction of my alarm clock to check the time, noting that as always, he was there exactly on time. A small part of me wished he would get the message that I didn't want to see him and subsequently leave me alone, but I knew that he wouldn't, at least not while I was locked away up here. He would visit me every day until I answered the door and spoke to him. Takuma Ichijou had visited my dormitory daily since the investigation had concluded and once all the fangirls were distracted by the other members of the Night Class. He wanted to see me, to speak to me about the events that had unfolded in the Tanaka Estate, resulting in the deaths of four vampires and one Pureblood.

 _"_ _Kaname Kuran has a few questions about…"_

Yeah, that was one of the lines he used on a frequent basis, thinking it would elicit a response from me. It never did, and I couldn't find the energy to be concerned that a Pureblood had questions, ones that could only be answered by me specifically. Considering Hanabusa had been unconscious for the majority of the fight and I was the only other survivor.

 _"_ _We need to report the incident to the Senate soon…"_

` That was another line he used, one he thought would garner a better response than a Pureblood having questions. I had learned through Zero, about a week ago, that the Senate was the governing body over all the vampires since the Purebloods had relinquished their "royalty" status. But I wasn't entirely sure, considering Zero hadn't actually referred to them as vampires but as _"monsters who feed on the blood of living humans."_ What else were they supposed to feed from? A dead human?

But with each time he knocked on the door and tried to coerce me to answer him or his questions, I chose to ignore him. I'd often close my eyes and return to whatever mundane thing I had been thinking about prior to his arrival. My thoughts were focused mostly on the competition, on playing the violin and enlisting the support of an accompanist. I had originally planned on asking Hanabusa if he could play the piano, and if he would be interested in helping me by being my accompanist. Unfortunately for me, I no longer had the nerve to ask him, no longer wished to bother him with such a stupid request. What had I been thinking in the first place anyway?

Tonight, I closed my eyes and focused on my school notes, on silly matters in order to distract myself from the horrible truth of it all, from the memories I wished with all of my heart that I could forget, even for a little while. Of blood that soaked the carpets and bodies contorted in death, of a monster who enjoyed fighting with a katana. Her eerie eyes a dazzling red that enticed those around her as she smiled, her hand partially extended out towards me in an invitation, asking me to join her once more, to lose control for a few minutes longer…

 _"_ _Won't you please play with me, Kaori? Just for a little while…?"_

I moved my right hand to catch the neck of the violin carefully, before lowering it to the floor to avoid further damage as I turned onto my right side in order to face the window. I opened my eyes quickly to avoid seeing her devastatingly beautiful image painted on my eyelids. I didn't want to be reminded of what it meant to lose control, of what I was capable of when I did, even if it were for a short time. I had tried to rationalise it, telling myself it wasn't my fault. Ryuu had provoked me, had threatened to kill Hanabusa, how else was I supposed to react? It was because of the guilt I felt at losing control to begin with, which allowed the vampires I had murdered to visit me in my dreams. It left me nowhere to hide, no way of escaping that awful manor…

Ryuu with his sadistic smile, his green eyes growing more frightened when he saw what I truly looked like: my eyes a dazzling blood red and my hair a snowy white. Naomi Sakemaki and Kotoko Aihara, both repulsed and terrified of me when I raised my katana to strike them down as I had in the manor that fateful day, seeing them as threats to the villagers' safety. The two men I didn't know the names of, the two lackeys that meant nothing to anyone but who had grown apprehensive of me in their final moments.

 _"_ _You are an anomaly, dear Kaori…"_

 _What if I don't want to be an anomaly?_

 _What if I want to be an average girl…who struggled with mundane problems for her age?_

 _When had my world been shifted and made me into this?_

 _Why did I have to play the role of the monster?_

 _What had I done to deserve this cruel fate of mine?_

"Kaori? It's Takuma Ichijou," Takuma called out to me, his voice pitched a little higher than normal and partially muffled by the door, "can I speak to you for a few moments? Face to face if possible? Kaname has a few questions…"

I didn't answer him as I pushed myself up on my bed, the springs of the mattress protesting slightly as I did. I sat near the edge of the bed as I looked out the window, seeing the setting sun in the distance, slightly obscured by the mountains, as the clouds were painted in pastel pinks, blues and purples. I pulled one leg to my chest, hugging it to me with my arms as I rested my chin on the knee. I could feel the gauze I had wrapped around it from my fall down some stairs, Hanabusa's hand extended out to help me get to the top without falling anymore. My toes on the other foot skimmed the floor, drawing faint patterns along the dust that looked like ink blot paintings. If I kept silent, Takuma would be gone in a few minutes (ten at the most was all he could afford), before returning to the other members of the Night Class and in time for his lessons. There was no possibility that I could face Takuma, or even Hanabusa as I was now, knowing that I didn't have complete control over the monster who resided inside of me, ready to take over at a moment's notice.

 _What if I lost control and hurt them all by accident?_

 _What if the monster didn't see the boundaries that I had laid out, marking them for what they were to me?_

 _Who would be a friend to me and a foe to her?_

I knew calling anyone a friend would only be a suggested tag, an identifier, nothing of value to her when she perceived them as the threat to my wellbeing. What if one of them were to die because of something I had done? In the end, I'd be alive and breathing, that was all she cared for. This body of mine had to survive…no matter the cost, no matter the number of people who had to die to allow for that to happen. I sighed once more, feeling bitter tears as they ran down my cheeks and stained my pyjama shorts, making a few scratches on my leg smart as the salt water crept under the gauze. There was one thought that pestered me, one I knew hurt the most. What if I, Kaori Tachibana, was the threat and not the monster?

 _What would Headmaster Cross say if he knew the truth about me?_

On that thought, I remembered the headmaster when he had recruited me from my old school, a private institute known simply as Gymnasium Maria Ward in Mainz. There had only been a handful of students in attendance, and with an all-girl population, a few of them had been very close friends of mine. We had studied the violin together as a past-time, often accompanying each other at school festivals and functions, before the letter had arrived from Cross Academy, offering me an amazing scholarship opportunity. My friends had told me to take it, to explore a new side of the country and to keep in touch with them. I hadn't spoken to them since becoming a guardian for this school, which I knew would need to be rectified before I went to the competition in Frankfurt. They would be attending it, I had seen the register, and I had a feeling that at least one of them would be competing for the first place prize. I missed my friends' easy smiles, their contagious laughter when we missed a note during practise. I missed my friends…

I took a deep breath as I remembered my second day at this school, the day my world was turned upside down…

* * *

 _I pursed my lips as I readjusted the strap of my bag once more, seeing the rips forming on the strap from the weight of the books I had deemed necessary for class. Mr Yagori had mentioned something about history and then named two books I had never heard of, which meant a trip to the library to retrieve said books only for my bag to break with a deafening thump inside the blasted room. I was certain the librarian hadn't known whether to help me or say "shush!". Hers was the only expression that questioned why I was here, when I clearly didn't belong. On top of that, I hadn't worn a school uniform in years, and now the one I had on caused me no end of misery. On that thought, I dropped my bag to the floor and ran my nails along my stomach, trying to stop the new bout of itches that had started._

 _I gave up after a few minutes and looked towards the heavy oak doors, a sign above them announcing it was the headmaster's office. The looks I had received from other students when the teacher, Ms Enma, had informed me that he had requested my presence immediately. I had collected my things, knowing that I would get lost and wouldn't make it back in time for my next class, before leaving. One quick look over my shoulder showed me Sayori, a friendly girl who had sat with me on my first day, was drawing on a sleeping Yuki Cross. Her hands had been scribbled on with felt tip markers, and Yuki either didn't care or was still fast asleep. I shook out my head as I returned my attention to the door, one hundred and one questions floating through my head as I tried to figure out why I had been called here. Had I done something wrong so soon after enrolling? Had someone told him something about me?_

 _"_ _I guess I'll never know unless I open the door," I mumbled as I picked up my bag and knocked._

 _"_ _Come in," the headmaster's voice called out in response._

 _I pushed down on the handle and stepped into the large office space. The last time I had been here was yesterday, and that had been to sign documents for my transfer. Had I missed something yesterday? Was that why he had called me?_

 _"_ _Ah, Ms Tachibana, thank you for coming as soon as you could," the headmaster said gently, his hands clasped in front of him and his glasses didn't reveal the colour of his eyes._

 _"_ _Have I done something wrong?" I asked as I set my bag down on one of the chairs before walking closer to him._

 _"_ _Quite the contrary," he replied, "your teachers have all said you've adapted well to our work schedule."_

 _"_ _Then why did you call me?"_

 _"_ _Ms Tachibana," he stated calmly, getting to his feet to look out the window, "I'd like to offer you a job here at this school…"_

 _My expression must have been confused, considering I had only been a student two days here. He didn't know me. How could he offer me anything without waiting a few months? I knew from my old school, to become a prefect, you had to go through extensive interviewing and training…or at least, that's what Zoe told me she had to go through._

 _"_ _What type of job is this? What do you want from me?"_

 _"_ _The job is simple," he answered, turning himself to look at me, "I want to make you a guardian at Cross Academy, like Zero Kiryu and Yuki Cross. You know them right?"_

 _"_ _They're in my class," I commented._

 _"_ _It will be a tiring job, often thankless if Zero is anything to go by. It will also be taxing…"_

 _"_ _I sort of noticed that already," I mumbled, "considering Yuki is still asleep…"_

 _"_ _You won't have much time for you friends," he continued, clearly ignoring my previous statement, "and you may feel like you're being rushed off your feet most days. Do you think you'd be interested?"_

 _"_ _I don't see a problem with that…" I replied, coming up with plans to avoid falling asleep in class or missing out on homework._

 _"_ _There's also something else you would need to be aware of…" he stated, his eyes focused on me like a laser, "the Night Class isn't quite what you think it is."_

* * *

It was at that point in my life that he told me about the Night Class of Cross Academy, that vampires did exist and were not confined to fairy-tale books as I had first thought. His explanation had been very brief, giving me a basic understanding of what was out there, which led me to believe he was either a conspiracy theorist or mentally unsound. I had put my hands up in surrender before slowly backing out of the room with my bag held tight like a weapon…only for me to bump into Zero Kiryu.

* * *

 _"_ _Crap!" I screamed, jumping slightly as he lifted his hands to hold onto my shoulders, securing me in place._

 _"_ _Zero!" Yuki's voice leaked into the room, "you're blocking the door again!"_

 _"_ _I'm not that wide, Yuki," he muttered in response before sidestepping out of her way._

 _"_ _Headmaster, you called for us?" she stated, glancing over at me for one moment as Cross began to tear up._

 _"_ _Call me Father," he coughed._

 _"_ _Father…you called for us," Yuki restated, an amused smile playing on her lips._

 _"_ _Oh Yuki!" he enthused, "I have such splendid news for you both! I've asked Kaori here to become a guardian, to help you both with your workload."_

 _I closed my eyes, feeling theirs burn holes in me as I wished to be anywhere other than in that room. Zero released me, allowing me to stumble somewhere to my right before dropping to my knees. My heart was still racing, my mind reeling from the headmaster's announcement that vampires existed. What was I supposed to do with that information?_

 _"_ _You don't believe him, do you?" a gentle voice asked and I opened my eyes to see Zero, his hand extended out towards me._

 _I took his hand and he helped me off the floor, bringing me towards the sofa my bag had been resting on as he took the seat beside me. The headmaster and Yuki took the opposite seat, their smiles far too bright for the day I just had._

 _"_ _You don't believe me?" the headmaster asked, his smile dropping a few degrees._

 _"_ _It is a little much," I whispered, clutching my hands tight, "you've told me vampires exist, and that they reside on the grounds of this school. Why type of reaction did you want me to have?"_

 _"_ _That's reasonable," Yuki commented, putting one finger to her lips, "I guess, Zero and I both grew up knowing they existed so it didn't come as quite a shock."_

 _"_ _Really?" I asked and Zero nodded, "why do they go to this school? Doesn't the sun burn them or something?"_

 _Zero had smiled, his eyes glowing for a brief moment before he told me everything he knew about vampires, with Yuki chirping in from time to time if he got something wrong or was too "offensive to Kaname", whoever that was. With their information backing up what the headmaster had told me, I had found myself at a bit of a loss. If vampires existed, what if every other fairy-tale creature was out there?_

 _"_ _So what do you think?" the headmaster asked after a few minutes had passed, and I had remained silent._

 _"_ _It's a lot to take in for one night," I whispered, "I need to think about it…if that's alright."_

 _"_ _Certainly," he replied and I excused myself._

* * *

It was the next evening, while I had been in my attic room playing the violin, that Yuki had knocked on the door. Her smile had been bright, her hand extended out to me as she invited me to join the two guardians on their patrols.

 _"_ _You can get a feel for the job then, in case you decide to accept…"_

I had nodded, leaving my violin behind and grabbed a coat before following her outside, where Zero was waiting. Once the patrols had concluded and the Night Class had returned to their dormitory without any problems, I had found the job something of interest. Between Yuki and Zero poking fun at each other, to Yuki fawning over a vampire named Kaname…I had seen it as somewhere I could fit in. Once I voiced those thoughts, Zero had brought me to the headmaster's house where I accepted the job.

 _"_ _I'm glad to hear it…"_

It was the very next day that I had stayed late in the classroom, long after class had concluded and I had finished studying for the day. I had decided to practise the violin until Yuki retrieved me, as per her promise, and found that I spent a few hours longer than I had originally intended in that room. That was the first day I had met Hanabusa Aidou…and kissed him…

 _Had it really only been two weeks since I had met Hanabusa Aidou?_

It felt like more time had passed then that…

I closed my eyes and I could picture myself beside that lake, Hanabusa at my right as he recovered his vision. Kissing me under the moonlight…

It was on that thought that I was reminded of how truly alone I felt up here in my room. Perhaps one visit to see him wouldn't hurt. Maybe another kiss, another conversation…one more walk to his dormitory…

"You can't," I whispered to myself, "if you do that, you can't protect them. You have to keep them safe, that's why you have to stay up here and out of the way…"

I justified my isolation by telling myself, repeatedly, that I was a threat to my friends, at least the few I had managed to make in such a short space of time, and the Night Class, even if it consisted mainly of powerful vampires. With that affirmed in my mind, I had decided to avoid any and all of my classes, Takuma…not wishing to be put into an enclosed space with anyone who mattered to me. I had to protect them all, that was what my job as a guardian of this school entailed.

"Then why do I feel so alone?" I whispered to no one in particular, tears forming on my eyelashes.

"Just say something…" Takuma's voice stated gently, "anything will do…"

"Kaori?"

That voice…no, it couldn't be…

"Kaori, it's me…"

I turned my head quickly, giving myself a momentary feel of whiplash, as I looked to my bedroom door once I heard his familiar voice once more. Takuma wouldn't have brought him up to the Sun Dormitory, would he? What did he think he could accomplish by bringing him here? Did he wish to cause me harm, by tempting me with him?

Maybe I was just imagining his voice, perhaps I had lost my mind and went to the memories of him. He couldn't really be on the other side of the door, within my reach. This couldn't possibly be real…it just couldn't!

"Kaori, if you can hear me, please listen to what I have to say," his voice said gently, calmly, "remember when you told me that everything would be alright in the Tanaka Estate? You promised that it would be fine. Since we've come back, I know that something is eating away at you, you're not acting like your usual self. So please, come outside and tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help you."

My eyes were glued to the door as I lowered my leg away from my chest, my toenails skimming my other foot before I got up and shuffled closer to the door. I placed one side of my head along the cold mahogany, freezing my face slowly until it felt numb. I raised both of my hands to rest along its rough surface, as if I could reach out and catch this new visitor. With my ear to the door, I could hear him as he breathed, knew without opening the door an inch that his blue eyes would be sad and desperate. I could picture him as I often had these past few days alone, dressed in his school uniform with his blond hair tousled at odd angles that made him appear older. I would run my hands through it carefully, or feel the softness of his lips during those little thoughts I had before it too faded to nothing and I was visited by Ryuu and the others.

I felt my breath catch in my throat as I clenched my left hand, my nails biting into the cut I had received that rested across my palm from my wrist to my pinkie finger. I pushed back my tears, wishing I could scream at the top of my voice. How could Takuma do this to me? What would he gain by bringing him here?

"Kaori?" Hanabusa Aidou whispered softly, and I heard as his head was placed against the door, his nails scratching its surface, "please open the door? For me?"

I felt one of my hands twitch, edging closer to the handle to comply with his request. I wanted to open it and tell him everything that had been bothering me. I wanted him to hold me and tell me that it would all work out, that he would help me to the best of his ability. I wanted to open that door…so I would no longer feel alone…

"Are you alright to stay here?" Takuma questioned, his voice muffled by the door.

"I don't know what you expect to happen with me here," Hanabusa answered, "but I'll stay."

"I'll let Kaname know you're here if he asks. I'll be back once class has concluded, so we can both walk back to the dormitory."

"Sure," Hanabusa said gently, "thanks for letting me talk to her."

Takuma didn't reply, and I listened to his footsteps as they descended the stairs and out of my earshot entirely. With him gone, I felt as if I could breathe, even if it was just a little. I lowered my body slowly, dropping to my knees to rest my right side against the door. I took in unsteady and shallow breaths to calm myself with very little success. Why had Takuma brought Hanabusa here? Couldn't he comprehend that it was dangerous?

I lowered my head to look at the gap under the door, feeling the cool breeze from the hallway against my bare feet. The cold spread from the tips of my toes up my legs, making my skin tingle uncomfortably. I should have brought over my blanket before sitting here. I heard a groan and watched as the shadow on the other side of the door grew in size before the ends of the Night Class shirt peeked out at me. Hanabusa must have sat down, bracing his back against the door. In my head, he had his hands resting on his knees with his head reclined against the door frame. If I felt alone and confused, I wondered briefly what he must be feeling…

"Kaori?" he said softly, his head turning slightly so one of his ears rested parallel to mine, "I miss our walks to my dormitory, and our conversations, even if they were a little one-sided. I'm sorry I didn't ask you questions the way you did. So here I am, hoping I'm not too late to offer you some help. Just tell me what's wrong, please?"

His words felt like a punch to my heart, and I wished I could vocalise my cries. I didn't mean for him to feel like this, there was nothing between us. Yet, I had felt excessively happy when I told Zero I was going on a solo patrol, knowing that I would see Hanabusa and spend more time with him. I sighed, knowing deep in my heart that if I opened the door, I couldn't guarantee that I could keep him safe.

 _"_ _I do too…"_ I mouthed, not wishing to speak my thoughts on the matter as I ran my fingertips along the door handle, _"I miss seeing you…I miss talking to you about anything…."_

"I just remembered something. You still have my coat from before," he commented with a faint chuckle, "the one from our second walk. I was sort of hoping you'd lend it back to me, if you weren't using it. Akatsuki and Rima were telling me it's supposed to snow in a couple of days. I doubt school will be cancelled, especially since we have a few months left before the holidays start. Have you any plans for your time off?"

I felt a faint smile inch across my face, and I wished it were real, that it would reach my eyes. I lifted my gaze from the floor to look over at my desk, painted a soft white to match the rest of the furniture, sheets of paper scattered across its surface like a haphazard mess. I should probably clean that before it became any more disorganised…

The tanned coat rested underneath my notes, still unbuttoned from the night before the investigation. I had intended to give it back to him during our next walk, but the cold had gotten through my uniform, reminding me that it was no longer summer. I had donned it to stay warm while I waited for him, only to see him with his friends, walking back to the Moon Dormitory. I had seen his eyes searching for me, heard him call my name before I ran away, not wishing to intrude on something that involved the vampires. I had then decided that evening to give it back to him the next day, perhaps as we were walking to the Japanese settlement, but chose against it once I had discovered that Takuma Ichijou would be our lift to Ikeada Inn, and that we would be stuck in a car together for at least a half an hour.

 _Did Takuma know of our budding relationship?_

 _Was he aware of our private walks to the Moon Dormitory?_

With no clear answer to any of those questions, I had left his coat behind on my desk in my room before going to meet the pair early that morning, planning to instead return it to Hanabusa later on that evening, once we had returned and I was back on my nightly patrols. But that evening had never come…especially not for me, at least. I wasn't sure if Hanabusa had waited for me, wondering if I would show and then questioned why I wasn't there. I only hoped he didn't wait long. It was from that evening that I had remained in this room of mine, my prison inside of the Sun Dormitory, not wishing to see anyone.

"You're probably already aware of this," Hanabusa said gently, his fingers grazing the surface of the floor underneath him, "but Yuki and Zero miss you. You can hear them talking during my classtime about you. Especially Zero…"

I did know that, having been made aware of that on the first night of my isolation. Zero and Yuki had come up to my room, wondering if I was in or away.

 _"_ _Why are there so many stairways to get up here?!"_ Yuki had complained as Zero sighed.

Zero had knocked and Yuki had called for me. I had been lying in my bed, the blankets thrown over my head as I cried. I had ignored them, deciding to instead stay in my bed as I cried into my pillow. After that night, I had received a near constant flood of voice messages and texts from the pair, especially from Zero himself, even after he told me he would never use his phone for anything other than vampire hunter business. I knew that since our first proper meeting in the headmaster's office, that we had grown close in the space of two weeks. We found amusement at Yuki as she fawned over Kaname Kuran, while we weren't sure of him, edging towards distrust of his motives. Yuki was oblivious to anything other than her feelings for him. Zero and I couldn't comprehend what his end game was, wondering often what he would gain from attending a school like this as a student?

 _"_ _Maybe he's building himself an army,"_ Zero had suggested once to me, _"this school would be the best cover to do so."_

When I had disappeared from my class and my duties as a guardian, Zero had sent me messages, often threatening to come up to my room the next evening, kick down the door and bring me to my senses…

 _"_ _By Any Means Necessary!"_

But that threat had never materialised and my door remained intact. Zero visited me on occasion, spending twenty minutes with me. He waited for me to speak first, to say anything that I wanted to. He didn't want to force me to speak to him when I clearly didn't want to. He'd send small sweets I liked to eat under the door, along with notes from class or letters. The letters were from Yuki, begging me to come back and join them once more on their patrols, to return to our classes so I could keep her and Sayori company like I normally would have. Once she realised that her efforts to coerce me were in vain, she changed the theme of her letters, giving me a basic rundown of everything I had missed, from gossip among the students to assignments we had been given. She informed me that a new student had joined the Day Class two days ago, and that almost every girl was fawning over him. She couldn't tell me his name, as she hadn't heard it from him or the fan club he had assembled in that short time.

 _"_ _Once I hear it, I swear I'll tell you!"_

Zero, knowing Yuki's class notes were either illegible or nonsense, wrote out his study notes from class each evening and put them under the door for me to collect at my leisure. He didn't stay most of the time, only telling me there were new notes and "goodnight" before he left.

 _"_ _Some more notes, just so I don't have to help you study for the exams like Yuki. Hopefully you'll come back soon, Kaori…"_

 _"_ _I'll be here for you when you want to talk, Kaori, whenever that is…"_

He once told me, not expecting a response, that he wasn't sure why I was acting the way I was, or what had brought it on.

 _"_ _Everything changed that day…"_

I didn't have the words to explain everything that had happened to me to him. He was most likely the best person to understand what it felt like, to wonder if you'll ever just lose control and hurt the ones you cared for. The headmaster had given me a bracelet, powered by some strange magic and told me to use it on Zero if he lost control.

 _"_ _You might as well test it. Just so you can see what happens…"_

 _"_ _But I don't want to hurt you, Zero!"_

 _"_ _It won't hurt me."_

Twenty seconds later and he was sprawled on the floor, pinned down by smoky daggers. The look on his face told me it hurt him more than he would ever let on. But I promised him that I would use it if the need arose, but not before then. I never wanted to see that look on his face again, knowing I had caused him to feel that pain. I lifted my wrist slowly and saw the silver bracelet resting there, just above another bandage. Would it be possible for me to be treated in a similar fashion? Could Zero and Yuki keep me in check, offer me a small amount of reassurance that if I were to become feral, they would stop me before I caused anyone I loved harm? Maybe it was something I would ask them…if I ever left this room.

I dropped my wrist and heard the familiar tune for my phone, alerting me to a new message. No doubt from Zero. I wanted to reply to him, to tell him everything was fine, but I knew I couldn't lie to him. I decided to ignore him when he visited, and refused to reply to his messages each time he texted me. I didn't write back to Yuki's letters nor did I ask her follow-up questions when she visited every other day when Zero didn't. I didn't want to be near other people, knowing that if I wasn't paying attention, I could lose control and cause severe death and destruction. In my head, it would be a true bloodbath, and no one would be spared by the monster. Who would be capable of stopping me when that happened?

 _"_ _No one yet…"_

"Kaori, please talk to me," Hanabusa whispered as he put his hand to the floor, his long fingers grazing the ground underneath the doorframe to rest near my leg without actually touching me, "anything at all! I miss you."

I put my left hand on the floorboards, my fingers mere inches from his. I wanted to touch them, to let him know that I was right there beside him. That the only barricade between us was a mahogany door that I had locked, the key placed under my pillow for safekeeping. If I did touch him, would he attempt to kick down the door to reach me? Or would he try to reason with me to leave my isolation as Takuma had done before him? I lowered my right hand from the door handle to rest over my frantically beating heart, knowing it was moments away from breaking into hundreds of pieces, most of which would be jagged and irreparable. It would be unusable, not a simple cosmetic problem like the violin.

Bittersweet memories flooded through my head, making tears form on the edges of my eyelashes as I closed my eyes. Every day I had spent with Hanabusa, every moment we had spoken or walked in silence together, no matter how long we'd had in each other's company. Our private moments, our little bubble that reality could not break until we parted at the gates of his dormitory. Even then, the residual effects of being near him kept me warm, like I had my own private sun, even during the coldest of nights. A small part of my heart, which wished for the impossible, wondered what could have been…had I not done this to us…

 _Would our relationship have budded into something more?_

 _Would his kisses have been a common occurrence, one I welcomed only too easily?_

 _Would he have loved me for me?_

 _Would I had been capable of loving him the way he deserved to be loved?_

Perhaps it was a foolish concept, one I had no right to ponder on, given the current circumstances. There would be no hope for a relationship between a vampire and a human, no matter how fleeting it would have been. I just had to look at Yuki Cross and Kaname Kuran, see the look in her eyes as he walked passed her, to know it would forever be impossible. Vampires, those similar to Kaname and Hanabusa, needed women of their own race, of their own social standing, to be with. A human would never be enough to them, and there would always be the temptation to bite your mortal partner. It further lowered my spirits when I reminded myself that the vampire I had considered a future with, was the heir to the Aidou family. He couldn't denounce his title and be with me, it would be unheard of. I wouldn't ask it of him either…it wouldn't be fair to assume he would anyway, even if I did.

 _Why am I doing this to myself?_

 _Why am I torturing myself with my foolish hopes that could never exist to begin with?_

"Please say something, anything, Kaori," Hanabusa begged, "tell me you can hear me. Tell me to leave you alone if you want. Just give me some sign that I'm not just talking to a door or an empty room."

I bit down on my lower lip as I lifted my eyes to view the door handle once more, tempted to retrieve the key and open it, asking him to hold me when I had. At the same time, I didn't want to speak to him, didn't want him to hear the words that I was too frightened to vocalise. I knew I should let him know I heard him. I looked away from the door as I pushed myself up to my feet and moved to my desk. Underneath his coat was a small spiral bound notebook which I held to my chest alongside a feathered pen Sayori had lent me when I had forgotten my pencil case. With both of those in my hands, I returned to my post by the door and opened the notebook. It had markings such as "K.T. & H.A. forever" …which I ignored as I opened a blank page. I pressed the tip of the pen to the paper, wrote a simple message of "I'm here" before tearing it free and placing it at his fingertips. I watched as he moved them to clasp the paper and pull it under the door, and out of my view.

"Kaori," he whispered softly, the crinkle of paper easy to hear from my seat, "are you alright? Were you hurt? How are you feeling?"

 _Was I alright?_

No, no…I wasn't. I was scared, my body hurt and my nightmares terrified me, leaving me in a cold sweat early each morning since we'd returned. I'd normally play my violin to banish those cruel dreams, to forget what had scared me, but I couldn't do that now, at least not for the moment with my shoulder. I could only listen to music on my MP3 player, and considering the mood I was in, it was understandable that my playlist comprised of depressing songs, which only made me feel worse than what I actually was. When music didn't help, and it rarely did, I tried to keep myself busy with Zero's notes. I transcribed those into my notebooks, hoping that if I saw my own handwriting, it would help me remember them better for the exams. But that could only last for so long before it all came back to me in crystal clear detail.

 _The blood…_

 _The bodies of the vampires before they turned to ash…_

 _Their frightened eyes…_

It was because of the vagueness of his first question, that I didn't write a response to him…or any of the other questions. I knew he wouldn't want to know my answers. If I'd had the choice, I wouldn't have wanted to know them either. But I had no second option…

"Takuma and I visited the Tanaka Estate two days ago," Hanabusa whispered, testing the waters, "to see if we could piece together my lost memory of the hours I don't recall. I only remember from when Ryuu, or Akira Tanaka, hit me in the eye to when I woke up…Takuma by my side instead of you. I vaguely remember you telling me that everything would be alright, and you were covered in blood. That's what's worried me the most, Kaori. What happened to you? Do you know what happened in that manor?"

 _"_ _Yes,"_ I mouthed, feeling fresh tears as they ran along my cheeks and I wrapped my arms around my knees, _"yes I know. I only wanted to keep you safe…"_

"We were only able to count four vampires, two Level E and two Level D…Takuma thinks they were the girls we saw. But I was certain there was a fifth vampire in that room," he said with a sigh that broke my heart a little, "Kaori, please tell me what happened in that manor."

 _"_ _You don't need to know, Hanabusa,"_ I mouthed once more as I clenched my left hand tight, feeling the warmth of blood as it pulsed through the surface of the bandages, _"you don't need that burden on your shoulders. Leave it on mine…"_

I placed my right hand to the floor to turn myself slowly to brace my back against the heavy door, pulling my legs closer so I could rest my chin on my knees. My vision was blurring around the edges as I looked to the window and the moon as it finally took centre stage. A few clouds were scattered across the sky, but none of them dared touch the moon or obstruct its bright light that evening. I found it to be an oddly comforting sight, one I remembered enjoying as a child.

 _"_ _Perhaps, next time I visit you…we could go for a walk. How does that sound, Kaori?"_

I could still hear his gentle voice in my head, his hand would have been resting on the top of my head. He ran it down the length of my hair to rest it on my shoulder, as if he needed the support, and a few strands of my hair would fall to the floor like silver thread. When I was with him, this older brother I remembered vaguely, I knew he would keep me safe…at least until the day came when I could return the favour for him. I looked to the moon, feeling comfortable in his presence but the dream shattered and I was returned unceremoniously to Cross Academy. The pain in my hand had flared up, causing me to hiss as I took the hand away from my knees to view it. I saw the blood as it started to drip down along my wrist.

"Kaori?! Hey! Kaori!" Hanabusa shouted, making me jump as his hands hit the door with enough force to make it vibrate, "Kaori! Answer me! Are you hurt?!"

I sighed as I got to my feet, hearing him calling my name repeatedly as I wandered into the bathroom. I should have known he would have been able to smell the blood. I turned on the water tap as I undid the clip that held the bandages, watching as the gauze fluttered slowly as it unravelled and fell into the water below. Once I could see the cut, noting I had broken the scab with my nails, I put my palm under the water to clean it out once more. It flowed pink down the drain and I waited until it ran clear. That told me I had a very limited time to dress it before it would start bleeding again. I removed my hand from under the water's flow and cleaned it an antiseptic before wrapping it in gauze, securing the clip by my thumb as if nothing had happened in that short time. I lifted my eyes from the sink to look in the mirror, seeing the shadows that told any reasonable onlooker that I hadn't slept much in the past few days. My eyes were sad, hints of loneliness evident in their grey/blue irises the more I looked. My blonde hair was limp around my shoulders, and I had lacked the energy to do anything about it. What would my friends think if they saw me?

With one deep breath, I gathered the ruined gauze and threw it away before walking back into my bedroom. Hanabusa was still hitting the door with a considerable amount of force. I glanced towards it with a sigh, knowing I didn't want to say anymore, or write anything else, to anyone. I didn't want Hanabusa to wait for the responses that I would never say or write to him. I wanted him to leave me alone…but at the same time, I wanted him to stay there a while longer. A little voice whispered to me that he would remain at that door until Takuma came back for him. One look at my alarm clock told me their classes would have only just started, leaving Hanabusa with another four hours to waste here at a minimum.

"Kaori!" Hanabusa called out, his voice hysterical, "please answer me! Are you alright?!"

I stood in the middle of my room, debating internally on whether or not I should return to my cold seat by the door or go to bed early and listen to my music until dawn, or at least until I fell asleep. I knew my answer long before Hanabusa called out my name again, knew what I would do next. I moved to my bed and retrieved the brass key I had stashed under my pillow, holding it tight in my bandaged hand as I grabbed the blue throw. I wrapped it around my shivering body as I edged closer to the door, lowering myself so I could brace my cooling body against the mahogany frame in defeat. I pressed my ear against the door to hear him as he knocked, feeling the vibrations through my body. I needed to put him out of his misery, and let him know that I was still here. I grabbed a fresh page from the notebook and wrote "the scabs on my knee broke, I had to clean them" before sliding it under the door for him to see.

I heard him as he dropped to his knees and settled back into his spot, catching the note to read with a shaking hand. It made a similar crinkling sound as the one prior to it, before he set it down somewhere to his side and out of my reach. I clutched the key tighter, wishing my life was easier than this.

"Kaori," he whispered, his voice sounding low, "I'm sorry if I scared you before. Smelling the blood…I started to panic that something was seriously wrong. I hope you know that I'll always worry about you, no matter what. I also hope that you understand that wherever you go, I'll be there for you. Let me help you, Kaori, tell me what's on your mind and I promise we'll work through it together. I…I…I love you, Kaori."

I felt my breath catch in my throat as I raised my right hand to rest over my heart, trying to calm its frantic beat at his words. He loved me? Hanabusa Aidou loved me? My heart dared to hope for a future it had imagined, and my common sense could not intervene. I could see him kissing me more frequently, telling the fangirls that he had eyes only for me. I'd be harassed by them, no doubt about that, but I would be happy. I lifted my left hand and the key to the door handle, tempted to open the door and see him. I wanted him to know that I had feelings for him. I pulled another page free and wrote out "why do you love me?" before throwing that note under the door.

I loved him for the way he made me feel safe. The way his blond hair never seemed to sit still. His blue eyes that sparkled when he spoke about his family. When he helped me up the stairs, when he kissed me after our walks. It was with those thoughts in mind, knowing that I loved him as well, that made me comfortable putting the key in the lock. But I didn't turn it, still wondering what his response would be. I held my breath as he picked up the note, chuckling to himself once it had been read.

"Why do I love you?" he whispered softly after a moment had passed, "I love you for being the only person who could bring colour back into my dreary monochrome life, who allowed me to feel again. I love your smile, one that's often playful and mischievous like the last time I saw you and I asked if you could use your katana, that it wasn't just for show. I love how your hair reminds me of starlight, and when you're really happy, your eyes melt a little into something close to silver. I love the way you make me feel when I'm around you, like everything and anything is possible with you by my side. When we're alone, even for a small fraction of time, it feels like it's just you and I, alone together in a bubble of our own creation. That's only some of the reasons why I love you, Kaori Tachibana."

Tears fell down my cheeks as I listened to his words, my heart was desperate to believe that this could work out between us. I wrote out the words that would ultimately end my fantasy: "but you're an aristocratic vampire and I'm only human. There would be no future for us…" before putting it on the floor for him to find. I watched as his long fingers retrieved it. I heard it crinkle in his hands before he took a deep breath. I could hear something as it clicked on the other side of the door, a faint scratching of a pen before the piece of paper was put back under the door near my right hand. I picked it up, opening it slowly, seeing my original statement and his reply underneath it.

 _"_ _I can tell you right now, Kaori, that there is a future for us out there. It doesn't matter what we are, whether we're human or vampire…all that matters is that you're Kaori and I'm Hanabusa. I hope that by your words, you love me too. It's because of that, that I'm writing to tell you that it shouldn't matter if I'm an aristocrat and you're a human. I love you for who you are, not what you are xxx"_

"Hanabusa…" I whispered, my voice weak from a lack of use over the last while, "I…"

"I was worried you'd lost your voice for a moment there," Hanabusa laughed, placing his fingertips back under the doorframe and near my hand, "I love you for being you, Kaori. I hope you remember that."

"I…I love you too," I whispered as I reached forward to touch his fingertips with my own, "with all my heart."

My heart felt warm, banishing the cold from the body. For one brief minute, it felt like we were in that bubble once more. Hanabusa Aidou loved me…and I loved him. He was right, nothing else mattered when it came to love.

"How can you know you love me…" I whispered, "when you've only know me for two weeks?"

"For me," he answered softly, "it feels like I've known you for so much longer than that. I've never met a person quite like you who can make me feel this…complete as a person. As if I found my missing piece. Does that make sense?"

I understood those words, could feel the truth of them in my heart as it bet against my ribs. Since meeting Hanabusa Aidou that fateful day, I had felt complete, like two pieces of a single soul put back together, after spending far too long apart. He was my missing piece, the one that made everything feel right in the world. With our hands barely touching, I could feel a faint spark as it travelled up my arm at the contact, making my heart beat a little faster. I looked to the key where it sat, and took one deep breath as I used my free hand to unlock the door…

* * *

(Hanabusa's POV)

I could hear her heart as it bet inside her chest, just a foot or two away from my ear. The smell of blood permeated the air, even after she had cleaned her knee…which made me wonder if she was seriously hurt. I couldn't remember exactly what happened that day, nor could I recall what had allowed me to see her, her blouse doused in blood. But I wasn't permitted to ponder those thoughts of mine as a faint click resounded in the empty hallway.

"Kaori?" I said gently, feeling her hand shake before it was removed from the floor, "Kaori? What's wrong?"

She didn't answer me, and all I heard was the sound of her body as she lifted it off the floor. Her feet padded across the ground, a blanket appeared to be dragged behind her. Was she going to bed? Had she reached her quota of contact with me already? I looked to the watch on my wrist and saw I had a few more hours before Takuma would return, and wondered what I could do to pass the time. Would Kaori mind if I stayed out here?

I felt the notches of the door along my spine, causing me discomfort. I'd better move to the opposite wall, and put one hand to the floor and the other on the door handle to lift myself off the ground. I had hoped the handle would offer me some leverage, only for it to lower itself under my weight. I dropped back to the floor with a thump, but it was nothing compared to what I had discovered. Her door was open…

I moved to my feet and looked at the inch gap that had formed. Takuma had never been able to get her to open the door before, or speak to him. What made me so different? I put my right hand to the door and nudged it open a little further, worried about what I might see when I did.

The room was better decorated than most of the dormitory rooms, nearly equalling that of the Moon Dorm. To my right was shelves decorated with books and clothes, some dropped to the floor in haste. A few frames were scattered across its surface, of three girls dressed in various clothes from evening dresses to casual attire. Books on the violin and school were all I could see immediately, which didn't tell me if she read for leisure. To my left was a heavyset wardrobe, opened only to reveal a white scarf with cherry blossoms along the ends. The white coat I remembered from our first meeting was on a hanger near a floor length mirror, one adorned with long necklaces. I looked in front of me and saw a white desk, pages and notebooks scattered across its surface at odd angles, my coat hidden under everything. Near it was the katana I remembered, the blade unable to fit into the sheath as easily as before. I climbed the steps that led to the next level with the desk, spotting a double bed not that far away.

Near it was a bathroom, the smell of blood also coming from within there. I wasn't aware the student body could have rooms quite like this, as I looked to the large window that faced the bed, the moon high in the sky that evening. A few stars could be seen from my vantage point, but it was nothing compared to what I would have seen had I been outside. A little frost had gathered along the edges of the panes, telling me the snow wasn't far away either.

My eyes turned to the bed, seeing a light blue duvet and four pillows. A purple notebook rested near one pillow, a pen on top of it as if Kaori had been in the middle of writing something important. But none of that held my attention for too long, as I noticed the girl who sat on the edge of the bed, wrapped in a dark blue throw. Her body was shaking, making the blanket appear as if it too were trembling with her. Her blonde hair was loose around her petit shoulders, and her skin looked almost porcelain. I stepped closer, seeing more of her profile as I did. Her grey/blue eyes were anxious, tears shimmered along her cheeks. She was wearing pyjama shorts and a small vest that exposed her shoulders and her tattoo. Her shoulder was wrapped in bandages, as were her legs, arms and hand. Small drops of blood were making themselves known against the gauze as I dropped to my hunches in front of her. What had happened to cause her this much harm? Where had I been?

"Kaori…" I whispered softly, putting one hand to her cheek as she sniffled, hoping it would offer her some comfort.

She placed her cheek against my palm, as if it were holding her up. Tears rolled down her cheeks, only to continue their path down my wrist and into my shirt sleeve. Her grey/blue eyes shimmered as she looked at me, her lower lip trembling. I opened my free arm for her, an invitation, which she more than willingly accepted. She dropped herself off the edge of her bed to her knees before moving closer to me. I felt her arms as they wrapped around my neck, the bandages making my ears feel ticklish for a moment. She pressed her face into my chest, her hands clutching the material of my sweater vest as she let loose everything she had been feeling. I wrapped my arms around her trembling body, running my fingers along her back as if to soothe her.

"Hana-Hana-Hanabusa!" she cried, her voice thick with her tears.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you before," I whispered softly to her as she gave up on speaking to me, "but I'm here for you now. Everything will be alright, I promise."

Those words meant something to her as she calmed slightly, but not enough to release me. I didn't mind, knowing I would make sure she never felt this alone again, unable to air the emotions she had bottled up. If she needed to speak, I'd give her time. I wouldn't force her hand when it clearly caused her untold distress. So I settled myself against her wall for the long night ahead, humming softly to her as she cried.

 _"_ _I'm right here, Kaori…always and forever…"_

* * *

 **So Hanabusa has told Kaori he loves her, and she loves him. And what do you think of the older brother figure, who could he be? I hope you've enjoyed this story so far and I'll update when I can :) If you have any questions, feel free to leave a review or PM me and I'll do my best to answer you :) Until then, TTYL**


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